Benefact Group, which owns ICMIF member Ecclesiastical Insurance, has set an ambition to become the UK’s biggest corporate donor, after achieving its goal of giving more than GBP 100 million to good causes in the past five years.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Ecclesiastical Insurance’s parent company had renamed as Benefact Group. The new name and brand identity marks an ambitious new chapter for the charitable owned Group and its family of specialist businesses including Ecclesiastical Insurance. Owned by a registered charity, Benefact Trust, Benefact Group is already the fourth-largest corporate donor to charity in the UK and gives all its available profits to good causes.

Benefact Group has given over GBP 100 million to good causes since 2016 through various programmes such as the Movement for Good awards, which accepts charitable nominations from both its customers and the wider public. It also gives a proportion of its profits to its charitable owner, the Benefact Trust, which helps transform lives and communities in the UK and other countries.

Ecclesiastical Insurance also gives to good causes directly and provides selected broker partners with grants worth a minimum of GBP 2,500 to give to their chosen charities. Since the scheme began, over GBP 550,000 has been donated to charities chosen by brokers to support causes ranging from beach cleaning to mental health charities and cancer support.

Benefact Group’s giving supports people and charities in need across a wide range of causes and sectors. Charities supported range from those providing humanitarian support to refugees from Ukraine, through to charitable sectors including education and skills, rural, heritage, arts, faith, climate change, animal and wildlife charities.

More than 10,000 charitable donations have been given across the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia from the GBP 100 million.

Richard Coleman, Managing Director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “Thanks to the support of our broker partners and customers, we’ve helped to achieve this incredible GBP 100 million giving milestone. As part of the Benefact Group’s family of businesses, our charitable purpose makes us so much more than an insurance company. We’re proud of our reputation as one of the most trusted insurers in our markets, and of the positive impact we make on society, by giving back all of our available profits to churches, charities and other good causes.”

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive at Benefact Group, said: “We’re incredibly proud to reach our GBP 100 million giving milestone thanks to the support of our family of specialist businesses, customers, brokers and everyone who has taken part in our giving initiatives over the past few years. We believe business should be a force for good and charitable causes need sustained support.

“I’m hugely grateful for the loyal support of our customers from our family of specialist businesses, each of whom pass their available profits for onwards distribution to charity – these include trusted brands such as Ecclesiastical and Ansvar Insurance, responsible and sustainable asset manager EdenTree, as well as broking and advisory businesses such as Lycetts, SEIB and Lloyd and Whyte.

“Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the group grows, the more the group can give. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do.”

Benefact Group first set a fundraising target in 2014 giving GBP 50 million to good causes. In 2016 the Group set a target to raise a further GBP 100 million.

Mark Hews added: “Benefact Group is unlike many other companies, the Group is not driven by the amount of money it makes, but by the amount it gives away. We hope that this ethos, coupled with outstanding customer service for which all our brands are known, will attract more customers to the Group, help us grow, and help us give.”

To learn more about Benefact Group’s unique purpose and the causes it helps visit: www.benefactgroup.com