A charity based in Gloucestershire will receive a £10,000 windfall as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance Group's annual Movement for Good awards.

Gloucester Rugby Foundation is one of 30 charities chosen by a panel of judges that will benefit from the money.

The fund will allow the charity, which uses sport as a vehicle to achieve positive social change in the local community, to kick-start its new project, Big Hitz - a community learning programme for young people which provides the skills and confidence they need to progress into a positive destination.

Each of the £10,000 awards are designed to help charities make a real difference in their communities. Applications were assessed against four key areas; impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: "At Ecclesiastical we believe business should be a force for good. Charitable causes need sustained support and a sense of financial stability. Through the second phase of our Movement for Good awards we are actively championing innovation, giving charities the backing they need to propel their plans forward and turn creative ideas into practical solutions that benefit society.

"We know that £10,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we're looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better."

"Ecclesiastical, the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK, is a unique financial services group. We are owned by a charity which means all available profits can be given to the good causes that are so important to our customers. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of our business."

Helen Chu, Head of Gloucester Rugby Foundation, said: "The Gloucester Rugby Foundation aims to engage, educate and inspire the local community to bring about positive social impact and new opportunities for all through sport. We are extremely grateful for the support from Ecclesiastical as this will allow us to reach even more young people who live in an area of high deprivation. Places where youth unemployment and health inequality are even higher than the national average."

For the third year running, the awards, set up by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, will see a total of £1million go to charities across the UK. An amazing 210,000 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards during its first phase earlier this year, with over 13,000 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated and were awarded £1,000 each.

Phase two saw over 1,000 project submissions for the £10,000 awards. Following a review of all the applications, a panel of judges made their final selection of the 30 winning projects. The remaining money will be awarded at a later date.