Gloucester-based insurer Ecclesiastical is giving £120,000 to good causes as part of its annual 12 Days of Giving Christmas campaign.

The specialist insurer will be giving 120 different charities an early Christmas gift of a £1000 donation, with winners announced each weekday from 6th to 21st December.

Ecclesiastical is inviting people to nominate a registered charity close to their hearts to benefit from this festive boost. Nominations are open now, and you can vote for your charity at www.ecclesiastical.com/12-days/

Winners will be drawn at random - and while it's not a popularity contest, the more times a charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected. Ecclesiastical is encouraging everyone to use their social media channels to ask people to vote for their favourite cause to give them the best possible chance of winning.

The charity winners will be announced on Ecclesiastical's website and on Twitter and LinkedIn each day.

Chris Pitt, corporate responsibility manager at Ecclesiastical, said: "As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, we believe charitable giving is really important, and even small amounts can add up to make a big difference.

"Last year, our 12 Days of Giving campaign helped a vast range of causes, from funding heat pads to keep hedgehogs warm to helping a telephone befriending service for isolated carers. This year, we hope to help 120 causes close to people's hearts."

Last year, 27 Gloucestershire charities received a 12 Days of Giving grant for a range of good causes including Milestone School pupils who benefited from new specialist outdoor play equipment, and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, who were able to buy parts to restore a 1918 steam locomotive.

Elsewhere, Gloucester Scouts used the money towards upgrading their scout headquarters, while the Dean Forest Hospice used the money towards a full day of pampering for patients, as well as funding nutritionally balanced lunches, counselling/bereavement sessions, day care and complementary therapy.

Ecclesiastical staff gave more than £250,000 to good causes in 2017 through personal grants and matched donations for fundraising and payroll giving as part of the company's 'MyGiving' scheme. Ecclesiastical gives all members of staff a personal grant of £125 to give to charity and this is doubled if they volunteer for the same charity.