Why advisers are embracing the spirit of giving this Christmas

But for those who are ill, financially vulnerable and struggling to feed their families, or too frail to leave their homes or hospital beds, it can be very difficult indeed.

That’s why advisers across the country have been working hard behind the scenes to raise money for those in need this Christmas.

For example, Kathryn and Alan Knowles have been raising money for a children's charity this year.

The Knowles are founders and leaders of Cura, an insurance company set up to ‘insure the uninsurable’.

A few of my favourite memories were of the children we gave presents to on the trail.Tobias Colton, TCWM

Cura has taken on the daring endeavour of helping find insurance for those whose illness, disability or mental health condition might ordinarily make it nigh-on impossible to find insurance cover, but Cura employees also have a heart of gold when it comes to charitable giving.

Last year Kathryn and Alan created a reverse Advent calendar, collecting hundreds of charitable donations to give to homelessness charity Rainbow Trust Scarborough each day of Advent.

This Christmas, Cura is collecting toys to give to Dunelm’s Delivering Joy to Children present appeal. In this way they hope to help families who are struggling this Christmas to make it a joyful occasion.

Kathryn is clear about why she and Alan give. They have a lot of fun - for example, they recently took part in a local Strictly Come Dancing competition to raise funds for St Catherine’s Hospice.

But the founding principle behind all they do is more weighty. “It has always been something that we feel is a moral duty to help others that are not as fortunate as ourselves” says Kathryn.

'If it means something to you, we will do that'

Steve Nelson is insight director at financial services consultancy the Lang Cat. His company has given a total of £7,000 worth of donations to good causes this year. 

Each month, the company award £250 to each of two winners of their Adviser Research Panel prize draw, to give to a charity of each winner’s choosing. 

Around Christmas they give out their biggest award, £1,500, and last year the winner kindly gave to a local Mountain Rescue charity. 

Hearing about charitable causes close to their hearts makes people more relatable.Steve Nelson, the lang cat

Nelson bubbles over with enthusiasm about his company’s generous spirit, and how this has been grabbed by the advice panel contributors, to help local causes close to their hearts.

He says the Lang Cat, which has a reputation in the financial services industry for creativity, aims to apply some of this innovative thinking to its charitable endeavours.

Nelson explains: “What we have tried to do is change the model of doing some research and enter a prize draw, and you win an ipad or a voucher.

"We’ve taken some of the profit margin from the exercise and two members of the prize draw get a £250 voucher to a chosen charity. We give them complete open choice.

"It can be a large charity or a local group like a youth group, cancer hospice or an older people's Christmas lunch organised by a church.

"As long as it means something to you, we will do that. It’s been one of the nicest things I get to do.”

Insight into individuals

Nelson speaks of the other advantages of charitable giving, adding: “Doing this gives us an insight into individuals and what they care about outside of work.

"Hearing about charitable causes close to their hearts makes people more relatable and helps us get to know someone better.”

Nelson also helps to run a Facebook forum for financial services members called Take Stock, together with Morningstar's Ollie Smith.

In the Take Stock Facebook group, members of the professional community, can share their mental health challenges, and support one another. 

Nelson says: “The origin of the group goes back to that first podcast I recorded with Ollie Smith, then of Citywire.

"I was really humbled by the response to it and one thing that struck me was the volume of people who wrote to me behind the scenes to share their own stories.

We are a local business with our community at the centre.Nigel Wood, Peace of Mind Financial Services

"[There were] people of all backgrounds, jobs and levels of seniority. It was really telling how I’d known so many of these people to varying degrees but know nothing about them or their histories of how mental health issues of all forms had touched them.” 

It was an act of goodwill, aimed to bring those members of the industry together so that they could connect with each other, and support one another on the forum. 

Take Stock has more than 100 members and forms part of a mission to break down barriers and stigma and provide a framework for people to share their mental health struggles with each other, and help one another when they do so. 

Smith himself is working the night shifts on December 24 and 25 at two hotels run by Crisis UK, to help people experiencing homelessness get accommodation over the festive period. 

Seasonal mindfulness

The Lang Cat also support the Samaritans, pursuing their championing of improving mental health through sponsored walking for the Samaritans as well.

The Samaritans are a charity operating a free listening service to anyone needing to talk. 

Standard Life has also been supporting the Samaritans this Christmas. Together they are training Standard Life staff in better helping clients who are in situations of vulnerability. 

Another company focusing their efforts on helping those in need this Christmas are Peace of Mind Financial Services. 

Managing director Nigel Wood explains: "In collaboration with the Rotary Club of Scarborough, we are organising the annual toy appeal where the community comes together to donate toys to underprivileged children in our community.” 

Wood believes there is a huge need in the area. He says: “We feel we are able to make a difference in this way as we are a local business with our community at the centre.”

This is Peace of Mind’s 12th annual appeal. “It has grown year on year – starting with 360 toys and two businesses (including our own) in 2010, into the huge community effort, which last year collected over 23,000 toys at an approximate value of £250,000, working alongside 35 local businesses.

"We are privileged to be able to cover a 300-square mile radius, due to the volume of toys collected.”

Organising an appeal on this scale takes a fair amount of planning and organisation. 

Wood says: “Initially, as it was on a smaller scale, it was relatively straightforward. As it has grown into what it is today, it has become an all year-round project, with meetings beginning in January, culminating with a Toy and Carol service at a local church.

"The support of social services and the 35+ local businesses, certainly help the efforts. We are also supported by our local MP and councillors.”

A recent industry-wide initiative took place on the eve of Advent, entitled Insurance United Against Dementia. This was a day set aside to help raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society to fight dementia.

Sponsored cycles, pot luck lunches and cake bakes, among other charity activities, took place across the country as insurance sector members and supporters galvanised efforts to help the cause.

Zurich UK kindly offered to match donations, up to £100,000.

Mountain top

Further afield, partners and employees of St James’s Place took on the world’s tallest mountain and took part in the Everest Basecamp Trek in Nepal, in aid of the charity ‘Supporting Nepal’s Children’ and the wider St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation.

The Supporting Nepal’s Children charity educates and funds school place for children in remote and impoverished Nepalese rural communities. 

Tobias Colton, from Tobias Colton Wealth Management described the experience: “A few of my favourite memories were of the children we gave presents to on the trail and the look of awe on their faces as they watched bubbles float into the sky, or seeing the bounce of a ball, immediately causing them to belly laugh like they were laughing for the first time.

"However, that was probably topped by the day we arrived in Namche when I was with Hazel, one of the Trustees from Supporting Nepal’s Children, and was a stark reminder of why we were there.

"As we walked through the town, numerous people approached Hazel literally stopping her in the street to thank her with such sincere gratitude and warmth as SNC had supported them and their families, sometimes putting their children through school – a truly moving scene.”

St. James’s Place employee, Jan Jago is a returning trekker to Nepal. Jago commented: “This country, its people and the difference we can make is an infectious driver to return year on year.”

Anita Boniface is a freelance journalist