Scottish Charities receive boost from Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation

Through its Charitable Foundation, the organisation is dedicated to improving the lives who live in the regions where it operates.

Charities and trusts in Edinburgh and Aberdeen have benefitted from a share of £140,000 – as well as volunteering support from Aberdeen’s staff.

In Edinburgh, Aberdeen Asset Management’s donation to Redhall School allowed primary seven schoolchildren with special needs to take part in a four-day activity camp at the Calvert Trust Centre in Northumberland.

The activities were designed to help boost confidence and independence.

The Edinburgh office also provided support to Gorgie City Farm, a youth project which enables teenagers facing difficulties in their lives to work with animals in its pet boarding facilities.

Learning to look after small creatures like rabbits, guinea pigs and even stick insects can help young people develop qualities of caring and empathy.

Other projects supported in Edinburgh and the central belt include The Prince’s Trust, which supplied a 12-week training course to help disadvantaged young people who are not currently in employment, education or training; The Yard, a youth club which runs adventure play sessions for disabled children and their families; and Place2Be, which provides mental health support in primary and secondary schools.

The Fife-based Muirhead Outreach Project, which works with families in areas of social deprivation, and Falkirk’s Perinatal Mental Health befriending service provided by Aberlour were also amongst recipients of financial aid.

Meanwhile, in the north east of Scotland, Aberdeen Asset Management contributed to Aberdeenshire communities affected when the River Dee burst its banks. The Charitable Foundation’s support allowed those living and working in the worst flood-hit areas to return to normal life.

Aberdeen Asset Management staff also “slept rough” in support of the Aberdeen Cyrenians. Given just cardboard boxes for shelter, staff members spent the night outside in a car park at the Cyrenians Sleepout event to raise funds and awareness for the local homeless community.

Other charities operating in the Aberdeen region which received donations from the Charitable Trust include Wings for Warriors, which offers wounded servicemen and women careers in aviation; Penumbra, which runs mental health sessions with people of all ages in the Granite City; the Northsound Cash for Kids Bed Appeal, which supplies beds to children and families who are not able to provide their own; and the NSPCC, which is working with primary-aged pupils to provide the knowledge and understanding they need to stay safe from abuse and neglect.

Lynda Affleck of Aberdeen’s Charitable Foundation, said: “It is incredibly important to us to support the communities in which our staff live and work. With almost 1,000 staff in Scotland, we are delighted to have been able to support a wide variety of causes across the country this year, both with financial donations and with voluntary effort, and look forward to continuing to do so in 2017.”

Elsewhere in the UK, Aberdeen Asset Management’s London office has supported a wide range of charities and organisations over the year – including Doctors of the World UK which provides vital medical assistance to some of the country’s most vulnerable and exploited people, and Resurgo’s Spear programme which helps unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds gain work and further education.

Aberdeen’s global workforce has also selected the Karen Hilltribes Trust (KHT) as its fifth emerging markets charity partner, and will make a six-figure donation to the charity over a three-year commitment. Working with the Karen people of Northern Thailand, KHT has three key aims: to increase access to education, improve health, and secure better livelihoods – all while retaining their identity and culture.

Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop the Group’s charitable giving globally. The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact and the firm encourages its employees to use their time and skills to support its charitable projects. The main focus of the Foundation is around emerging markets and local communities, reflecting the desire to give back to those areas which are a key strategic focus of the business and to build on the historic pattern of giving to communities in which Aberdeen employees live and work.