Covid-19 support team and life-saving charity to benefit thanks to NFU Mutual

NFU Mutual Agents and their staff at the local Horncastle Agency have nominated the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance and Horncastle Crisis Support Team to receive donations of more than £3,000 each from a national £2m ‘Agency Giving Fund’ launched by NFU Mutual.
Andrew Wilson (Agent) with Isabel Forrester outside the Horncastle Agency office, Roughton Moor.Andrew Wilson (Agent) with Isabel Forrester outside the Horncastle Agency office, Roughton Moor.
Andrew Wilson (Agent) with Isabel Forrester outside the Horncastle Agency office, Roughton Moor.

This money will enable both good causes to continue their essential work in these unprecedented circumstances.

In light of the national emergency the country continues to face, NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading rural insurer, announced this £2m fund in February to help local frontline charities during 2021.

This follows £1m of support delivered by NFU Mutual’s Agency Giving Fund in 2020, which helped charities across many sectors to keep their life-changing services going throughout the pandemic.

To ensure these donations reach all corners of the UK and are directed where they’re needed most, NFU Mutual’s Agents, with over 300 offices nationwide, have been given the opportunity to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund.

The funds will be distributed over 16 weeks from the end of February, offering support as lockdown measures continue to impact our communities.

The donation to Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance will cover the cost of a vital and potentially lifesaving helicopter mission.

In rural areas, such as those championed by the NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund, the nearest hospital is often more than an hour away by land, and in emergencies, when every second counts, the arrival of their iconic yellow helicopter and critical care team can make the difference.

Their crews have remained on the frontline throughout the coronavirus pandemic, continuing to save lives across our communities.

In fact, 2020 was one of their busiest years on record as they attended 20% more missions than in 2019.

Heather Rabett, Interim Trusts and Foundations Manager at Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, said: “From everyone here at Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance, we would like to thank NFU Mutual Horncastle colleagues for nominating our charity to receive a grant from the NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund.

“As an independent 
charity, we rely on charitable donations to keep our Helicopter in the sky and our Critical Care Cars on the road. NFU Mutual’s generous support helps us deliver our life- saving service across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and beyond every single day.”

Horncastle Crisis Support Team which includes The Community Larder, were recently approached by social workers who reported struggling to help clients who hadn’t even the most basic household equipment.

This resulted in a scheme to put together not just food parcels but packages to support people’s ability to prepare and serve their meal.

These Home Starter packs also offered bedroom and bathroom options, providing essentials like bedding, towels and cleaning products.

Isabel Forrester from the Horncastle Crisis Support Team said: “NFU Mutual have provided a generous grant, which will go towards funding these packages and as a result this partnership will help welcome people to their new homes and lives.”

Jayne Thornalley, Senior Agent at NFU Mutual Horncastle, said: “The Coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on everybody, including our customers and their local communities.

“Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance and Horncastle Crisis Support Team are making a wonderful difference to our community in these challenging times and we are proud to have been able to nominate these local causes to benefit from the national fund.”

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