Charity roundup: Yorkshire Asset Based Lending; Hitachi Personal Finance; Phoenix Health and Wellbeing; First4lawyers

THE Yorkshire asset based lending community is making a meal of charitable giving this Christmas with a donation to the Jamie’s Ministry of Food project in Leeds.

Following a charity golf day in June that raised £2,500, Yorkshire Asset Based Lending (YABL) has pledged to allocate a third of the money raised to fund 25 people on low incomes to attend classes at the Ministry of Food centre at Kirkgate Market in Leeds, where they will learn how to cook simple, nutritious meals. YABL is also donating a third of the money to Leeds youth charity The Zone and is currently looking for a third local charity to receive the remaining funds.

Chris Silverwood, managing director of Leeds-based Ethos Corporate Finance and the founder of YABL, which has now raised over £30,000 for good causes, said: “YABL is really pleased to be able to help fund cookery courses at the Ministry of Food. These courses have the potential to vastly enhance the lives of the people who will now have the chance to learn to cook, as well as their families.”

The brainchild of Jamie Oliver, the Ministry of Food was set up in 2008 to teach people with no experience of cooking how to create nutritious meals from scratch on a tight budget, rather than resort to take away meals and junk food. With six regional centres across England, the Leeds Ministry of Food opened in 2010 and is based in Kirkgate Market. The centre is largely funded by Leeds City Council and operated by Leeds charity Zest – Health for Life.

This Christmas, Walker Morris has been helping Zest – Health for Life. Employees have donated over 150 gifts in its annual Christmas gift donation – its highest number to date.

Each year Walker Morris employees are asked if they would like to make a voluntary donation of a Christmas gift to a nominated charity.

Maureen Lillywhite from Zest Health for Life, said: “Thanks to everyone at Walker Morris who took the time to buy an extra present this year.  We work closely with a lot of disadvantage families in Leeds providing much needed support.”

:::

BARNADO’S has received a Christmas gift from the staff and customers of Hitachi Personal Finance.

The Leeds-based personal finance company raised £4,000 for the charity through an online game and fundraising.

Gerald Grimes, managing director of Hitachi Personal Finance, said: “Barnado’s does amazing work in the region and across the UK. We are pleased that our efforts will help to support vulnerable young people. We have a great team that is growing in Leeds and it important that we do our bit to support the local community.”

Hitachi employs 240 people in Leeds and supports over 600,000 customers around the UK with personal loans and retail finance. The company has grown rapidly to write £1.5bn of credit this year.

:::

PHOENIX Health and Wellbeing charity has been launched in Leeds city centre.

The charity’s new centre for wellbeing offers support in the form of subsidised counselling and body work therapies to a range of people with mental and physical health issues and their carers.

Lindsay Texel, chair of the trustees of Phoenix opened the event. She said: “In the current economic climate people might say it is a very brave decision to open a new charity when there are many other worthy causes out there which all require support. 

“The charity is passionate about working in the mental health arena and the centre will provide very high quality therapy treatments and counselling to support people in Leeds with mental or physical health issues.”

:::

A TEAM from Huddersfield-based personal injury law specialist First4lawyers has raised over £2,800 for Headway, the brain injury association, by completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.

The group of 11, made up of four First4lawyers staff and their partners and friends, finished the gruelling 24.5 mile trek in 12 hours, despite torrential rain, strong winds and thunder and lightning.

The challenging route involved 5,200ft of ascent and included the Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough mountains. The peaks form part of the Pennine range and encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.