Raising money for charity is an integral part of Sesame Bankhall Group, but giving back is not just about money, it's also about participating and helping out, said Richard Howells, its chief operating officer.
SBG works with two charities a year, typically a national and a local one close to its head offices in Manchester.
Currently, for a two-year period, it works with St Ann's Hospice, which provides specialist palliative to people with life-limiting illnesses, holding a series of fundraising events to help build new consulting rooms.
While normally the group would engage in one-year partnerships, St Ann's is in place for two years in order to get to the level of funding needed, said Howells.
The second charity is Stepchange, a debt counselling charity, which allows its advisers to put their skills to use pro bono.
"In the market we're in, particularly with our network and PMS, and with mortgages, we felt that it was an appropriate thing that we could do, not only to raise money but also perhaps the availability of advisers to work on a pro bono basis to be able to help customers who are in that situation," he said.
"There are lots of customers that go to advisers and they're not there for a new mortgage, [or] to invest money, they're there because they're in trouble and they need some help and a lot of advisers will give that help pro-bono, just because it's the right thing to do.
"So we thought that had a very clear connection to what we do on a day to day basis."
Howells added: "Raising money is one thing, but we also make sure we have lots of volunteering days because for some charities money is great but actually people onsite doing things and helping with things is as important."
SBG has also signed up to initiatives such as EY's Your Future, which takes children from underprivileged areas who might not otherwise have the opportunity to work in an office or in business.
SBG would take two or three school leavers and teach them what it's like to work in an office and introduce them to the different career they could pursue.
"That has been really beneficial. It's brought a new dynamic into the staff group, so that's been good as well," Howells said.
SBG, which is owned by Aviva, benefits from Aviva's own sizeable community fund, which in 2021 parted with about £32mn. But Aviva does not contribute to SBG's local charities, though it can be called upon for national charities, if they feature in Aviva's own pool.
Charities are chosen via a staff council within SBG, which takes recommendations from staff before presenting options to the executive team to be selected.
Selections are mainly based on the issues prevailing at the time in the local area, with the charity most in need at that time typically chosen.
