A Christmas bonus with a difference

This past year has been tough on us all, but with the help of all the charities in our local community it has made thousands of peoples lives that little bit easier.

With Christmas being the ‘season of giving’, we have started our very own Christmas tradition at Pinnacle, recognising the importance of giving back to charities that have such a big impact on so many people’s lives.

Each Christmas all members of Pinnacle Growth Group are given a budget to donate to a charity of their choice, amounting to nearly £1000 of donations over 7 different charities. Added to our donations from throughout the year, we’re pleased to have given over £2000 to charitable causes.

Dr Scott King, Co-founder of Pinnacle Growth Group, whose chose Lighthouse, spoke about this saying, “I take a real pride in being able to do this each Christmas.  It’s great to be able to help 7 local charities this year, especially as the third sector has been hit so hard by the COVID situation.”

Robert, Co-founder of Pinnacle Growth Group donated to Marie Curie, as a token of his appreciation for their care for members of his family over the past year. His donation will provide almost 9 hours of over-night nursing support, bringing the expert care and comfort families need. Marie Curie relies heavily on donations, with around two-thirds of the money they spend each year comes from donations whilst the remaining third comes from the NHS.

Erin, our marketing assistant, chose to donate to Aware. Her donation alone will fund one of their support groups for a whole week, or pay for two awareness raising sessions promoting the importance of looking after your mental health. From March-September of this year Aware saw a 46% increase in demands for their services, with so many people struggling to get through these unprecedented times. Any donation is appreciated from these charities, no amount is too small and we encourage you to give what you can this Christmas.

Similarly, Scott chose to donate to Lighthouse, who are committed to the prevention of suicide and self-harm; the promotion of positive mental health and the provision of support services to families who have been bereaved due to suicide.

Age NI have a goal of reaching £20,000 in donations, which Thalia was able to contribute to. Loneliness is an ongoing epidemic which has only been heightened by the coronavirus pandemic, which is why Thalia decided to support this charity. Since April 2020, Age Ni have provided over 36,008 calls offering direct support to those in need, but there is still so much to give. It is now more important than ever to give back to these type of charities during these challenging times.

Hannah donated to Tinylife, who are dedicated to reducing premature birth, illness, disability and death in the six babies born every day in Northern Ireland. This was important to Hannah as they were such a great help to her when her child was born prematurely.

Care for Cancer is a local charity which supports the community of Omagh and its surrounding areas, providing information and practical support to cancer patients, their carers and families. David wanted to give back to this charity after seeing first hand the amazing work they carry out for families touched by cancer.

And finally, Marcus chose Stepping Stones as his charity this Christmas, due to the work they do supporting many young people with learning difficulties gain access to training and employment.

Here at Pinnacle Growth Group we are no strangers to working closely with charities, as one business within the Pinnacle Growth Group is Third Sector Connect; an organisation that has been recently formed to provide support to the third sector, ensuring they are maximising their impact and delivering benefits within their community. At Third Sector Connect, we aim to build a better future together.

If we have learnt anything from this past year, It is the importance of everyone coming together and working in unity to see a positive change. Let’s carry this on into the new year and continue to show our support for charities that have made a massive impact on people’s lives.

We hope these donations can make a positive impact on the charities that work so hard for our local communities every year, and make everyone’s Christmas a little brighter.