Local specialist charity broker Endsleigh is donating a total of £4,100 between three Gloucestershire-based charities.

The donation is through two separate initiatives. The first is an internal fundraising challenge called Endsleigh in Motion, where Endsleigh employees raised £1,600 for the charities, which the company then matched and donated to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal.

The second is via grant funding from Ecclesiastical Insurance's charity support programme, Closer to You, where £2,500 is being split between the three charities. This is the third year that Endsleigh has taken part in the programme.

The charities, voted for by staff, are Cheltenham Animal Shelter, Community Connexions and Winston's Wish - each of them receiving £1,366 to support their initiatives.

Winston's Wish was the UK's first childhood bereavement charity. Since 1992, they have supported bereaved children, young people, their families and the professionals who care for them. Last year they used Endsleigh's donations to provide continuous support for bereaved children and young people.

Cheltenham Animal Shelter has helped animals since 1926. They rescue dogs, cats and small animals from across Gloucestershire, with approximately 650 animals passing through their doors each year. Last year's donations went towards a new rabbit bonding pen which helped the rabbits make new friends in a relaxed environment.

Community Connexions provides transport for people of all ages across Gloucestershire who would otherwise struggle, enabling independence and inclusion. This may be due to physical, mental, social or rural barriers. Last year's donations went towards a wheelchair-accessible commercial vehicle to assist them in supporting the transportation of disabled service users.

Endsleigh have always had a strong focus on fundraising, and now being part of the Howden Group, they're doing more than ever before. Endsleigh in Motion is their second fundraiser of its type in the last 12 months. During the challenge, staff aimed to rack up a huge 5,722 miles (because Endsleigh is 57 in 2022!) by walking, running and swimming to raise money for their charities. They proudly ended the challenge over their target with 5,802.66 miles.

They virtually travelled the distance from their office in Cheltenham, to Howden's Bangkok office, checking in at many international universities and Howden offices along the way. Their 2021 challenge, Endsleigh Runs the Country, raised almost £4,000. This is also the third year Endsleigh have participated in Ecclesiastical's Closer to You programme, aiming to support them in achieving their goal of exceeding £100m of charity donations.

Asif Khan, associate director, not-for-profit division at Endsleigh Insurance Services, said: "The people at Endsleigh are passionate about supporting the local community with their fundraising and using their time to volunteer. When you visit our amazing chosen charities and see the great work they undertake, it really brings to life just how important the Third Sector is in supporting those in need.

"Endsleigh are proud to support these three incredible charities who do so much for the community. Whilst many charities still face challenges of increased demands and constrained fundraising, we hope that the donations raised from Endsleigh in Motion and the Closer to You programme make a big difference to those who need the vital support that these organisations provide."