Two Cornish charities set to benefit from more than £60,000 of funding
Yeovil local charities are set to benefit funding from Leonardo
A young team of engineers at Leonardo in Yeovil have raised £64,000 over the past two years and are donating them to two local charities.
The £64,000 donation will be split equally between ANDYSMANCLUB and Yeovil Free Wheelers Blood Bikes.
Raised through the company’s charity and social committee, apprentices, graduates and placement students at the site came together to present the cheque during a special celebration at Westlands entertainment venue earlier this month.
The fundraising saw dozens of young people take part in community events, personal challenges and other initiatives alongside their work and studies.
ANDYSMANCLUB, which provides free peer-to-peer support groups for men, will use the money to support its weekly sessions and awareness-raising activities.
Meanwhile, Yeovil Free Wheelers Blood Bikes, provides a volunteer-run emergency delivery service across Somerset and Dorset, transporting blood products, medical supplies and equipment for the NHS.
The charity says its volunteers completed more than 2,653 out-of-hours deliveries last year, so the donation will help fund a new medical bike.
Nigel Colman, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, described the fundraising as an “incredible achievement.”
He said: “Our early careers community continually demonstrates what can be achieved when talent, determination and a sense of purpose come together.
“Raising £64,000 for two outstanding local charities is an incredible achievement and one that will make a lasting difference to people across Somerset and the wider South West.”
Ben Beach, outgoing AWASA Chair, said the group wanted to “make a genuine difference in our local community” when the fundraising began.
Both charities have thanked Leonardo's early careers community for the support, with the money set to help fund their work across Somerset and the wider South West.