SEIB clients vote for the BHS to receive £50K to improve equine healthcare

SEIB Insurance Brokers hosted their inaugural Charity Awards luncheon at the Grange City Hotel, London on the 23^rd April. SEIB’s Chief Executive Officer, Barry Fehler presented a cheque for £50,000 and a commemorative plaque to Emma Day and Gemma Stanford of the British Horse Society (BHS). SEIB customers voted for the Healthcare on Tour project from the winning charity, the BHS, to be the recipient of this generous grant.

Barry Fehler said: “I have been at the helm of SEIB for over 50 years and it is with great pride that we are able to make this grant of £50,000 to the BHS to help equine welfare across the UK”.

Voting began in September 2017 when SEIB Giving was launched to decide which charity should be awarded the grant of £50,000. In its first year this initiative has proved to be very popular with SEIB clients who have had the chance to choose the winning charity who will benefit from this huge sum of money.

Over 200 small to medium sized charities were nominated and over 2,000 votes were received, resulting in 12 charities being invited to submit detailed plans.  Eight charities went through to the final stage when only SEIB customers could choose the good cause to win the grant of £50K and only one vote per client was allowed. The winner was announced at the SEIB awards ceremony and luncheon.

SEIB ensured that no charity left empty handed and each of the other seven finalists received a donation.

The British Horse Society plans to use the £50K grant to purchase a Healthcare on Tour vehicle to deliver critical equine welfare around the UK.

Barry Fehler announced that next year SEIB Insurance Brokers will give an incredible £100,000 to charity – thus doubling their charitable giving in just one year. SEIB while being an independent broker is owned by the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group that is in turn owned by the charity Allchurches Trust.

Barry Fehler continued “We are delighted that our customers have decided which of these very worthy causes should receive the grant.   SEIB is so successful because we are totally customer focussed and this is another way that our clients can have their say.    Each of the charities that reached the final judging had important projects that would really make a difference to the areas within which they operate and that was our aim when we set up this initiative”.

SEIB works closely with the charitable sector and insure many charities and non-for profit organisations.

Giving is embedded in the culture of SEIB. From supporting grass roots competition that gives opportunities to amateur riders that they could only otherwise dream about, right through to the company’s long-term commitment to the Animal Health Trust who are developing a vaccine for Grass Sickness.

The SEIB team do a huge amount for local charities and SEIB has proudly supported the Burghley Sponsored Ride for the past four-years by covering expenses so all proceeds go to charity

Each of the final eight charities left the Awards with some remuneration. Runners up, the South Essex Wildlife Hospital received £1,000, and in third place, World Horse Welfare received a cheque for £900. The other finalists were, Welsh Pony Rescue and Rehoming, Demelza Hospice Care for Children, Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care, Riding for the Disabled and Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

ENDS

Photo:  SEIB Insurance Brokers CEO, Barry Fehler presents the SEIB £50K for Charity cheque to Emma Day and Gemma Stanford of the British Horse Society. Photo Credit: Peter Nixon.

For further press information please contact Jenny Viner at jennyviner@jennyviner.com or call 07766 731164.

Full results for the final 8 charities in the 2018 SEIB “50K for Charity Awards”

1^st – £50,000 – The British Horse Society www.bhs.org.uk

2^nd – £1,000 – South Essex Wildlife Hospital www.southessexwildlife.org

3^rd – £900 – World Horse Welfare www.worldhorsewelfare.org

4^th – £800 – Welsh Pony Rescue & Rehoming Charitable Trust www.welshponyrescue.org.uk

5^th – £700 – Demelza Hospice Care for Children www.demelza.org.uk

6^th – £600 – Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care www.fairlybelovedrabbitcare.org

7^th – £500 – Riding for the Disabled Association www.rda.org.uk

8^th – £400 – Redwings Horse Sanctuary www.redwings.org.uk