Charities and community groups across the UK are set to benefit with the launch of Challenge 2006, the annual volunteer event organised by Zurich's Community Trust, the charitable arm of leading financial services group Zurich in the UK.
Started in 1990, Challenge is one of the largest corporate charity programmes in the UK. Every year Zurich encourages organisations local to its main offices to challenge its 8,700 staff to help make a difference. This year the company received in excess of 170 challenges focused in and around Swindon, Cheltenham, Leeds, Birmingham and Hampshire (Fareham, Farnborough, Portsmouth and Southampton)
Details of the challenges, which range from organising a barbeque for Swindon children's charity CALM to sprucing up a nature trail for Birmingham based Meadows Special School, were sent to staff last week and within 24 hours 85% of the projects had already been taken up.
Chris Gillies, Chairman of the Zurich Community Trust comments: "Challenge has become part of our corporate culture at Zurich. It is an eagerly anticipated annual event which always captures the imagination of staff, inspiring them to do great things to help local charities and community groups."
"We have already had a tremendous response from staff to Challenge 2006 with more than 85% of projects having been taken up across the UK within the first 24 hours.
"As ever, I am personally involved, working with my executive team to complete two challenges submitted by the charity Cirencester Housing for Young People (CHYP) which provides furnished, supported housing for single young homeless people aged 16 to 25. We have committed to redecorating the communal lounge area and transforming a small conservatory into a chill-out room."
For further information, please contact:
Nicola Bryson, Senior Media Relations Consultant, Zurich
Tel: 01793 503354 / 07734 336281
Notes to Editors:
About Challenge 2006
· Challenge 2006 was launched internally to Zurich staff in conjunction with Capita staff on 26 April. Staff from Birmingham, Cheltenham, Hampshire, Leeds and Swindon took up over 150 challenges on that day.
· Challenge projects range from re-decoration, to entertaining a group of people (often a BBQ or party), to re-plant or clear a garden area to taking groups out on day trips. Sometimes, it can be providing volunteers for events, fundraising or collecting books.
· These challenges will typically be completed anytime from now until the end of September.
· Staff will meet up with the local charity to agree what needs to be done. Fundraising and asking for donated goods, to carry out the challenge, will then commence. Zurich's Community Trust will match any monies raised by 50%. Health & Safety have vetted all Challenges and Zurich's Health & Safety team is on hand if a further review if required.
About Zurich's Community Trust
· Zurich's Community Trust, a registered charity funded by pre-tax profits and donations from its people, provides an umbrella for all Zurich's community involvement in the UK.
· Zurich Community Trust manages and matches Zurich employees' and financial advisers' £1 million donations, 20,000 hours of volunteering including 174 annual team challenge activities involving over 3,000 staff.
· Zurich's Community Trust Programmes create sustainable change through long-term funding and active employee involvement. Zurich works closely with innovative partners to significantly impact the lives of disadvantaged people in the UK and overseas. The Programmes tackle the most vulnerable older people's issues and our Breaking the Cycle programme works with families to break the generational cycle of harm of drug addiction. In addition, there is a programme in southern India with personal development opportunities for employees. In 2005 over 600 charities and 17 community partners were supported.
· Visit Zurich's website on www.zurich.org.uk for more details.
About Zurich
Zurich Financial Services is an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network that focuses its activities on its key markets in North America and Europe. Founded in 1872, Zurich is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich has offices in more than 50 countries and employs about 57,000 people.
