Ageas Insurance, which has an office at Gloucester Business Park, has announced a year-long extension of its partnership with charity Rays of Sunshine.

The partnership, which launched in January 2020, has raised an impressive £23,500 already and its continuation will ensure the children's charity can continue to brighten the lives of seriously ill children by granting magical wishes and providing ongoing support within hospitals throughout 2021.

Throughout the partnership, Ageas said its employees have shown unwavering commitment to supporting the charity even in spite of the restrictions during lockdown. From sponsored beard shaves and hosting virtual bingo sessions, to taking on personal challenges, the business said Ageas staff have continued to support the charity through new and innovative ways.

In October, Ageas staff hosted a Run4Wishes event which saw more than 50 employees take on a 10-mile run around their local areas and raised an incredible £12,000.

Lyn Nicholls, HR director at Ageas, said: "We take our commitment to helping our chosen charities very seriously and we're thrilled to be able to extend our support for Rays of Sunshine for another year. Hearing how the charity is making dreams come true has been inspirational and our people have found it rewarding raising money for Rays of Sunshine's important work."

Lindsey Bennister, CEO of Rays of Sunshine, said: "This year has been an incredibly challenging one for everyone, so we are extremely grateful to Ageas, not only for their continued support into 2021, but for their dedication and enthusiasm towards raising vital funds for the charity during year one of the partnership.

"We are excited to continue working together throughout the next year and can't wait to see the innovative and new ways employees will raise vital funds to help us continue bringing joy and hope to seriously ill children and their families across the UK."