Nottingham business announces latest community support with new charity partnership

Nottingham-based insurance broker Russell Scanlan, which serves the nation’s corporate and small business sectors, has announced that its Charity of the Year for 2024 is Spectrum Wasp Children’s Charity.

The business which is known for its generous sponsorship and charitable associations with local, regional and national organisations, will dedicate a year’s long fundraising activities to Spectrum Wasp – including its annual Quiz Night at Trent Bridge in the Autumn.

The Nottinghamshire-based charity Spectrum Wasp offers regional assistance to parents with children and young people on the autistic spectrum. Currently it supports 332 children between the ages of 5 and 18 across Nottinghamshire, providing regular fun activities, encouraging new friendships, development, growth, confidence and new skills.

It is predicted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that 1 in 100 children globally have autism or Special Educational Needs. For these young people, life can be overwhelming, which is why it’s crucial that they can be provided with suitable activities and learning, giving them a chance to integrate into society and live an independent life.

Russell Scanlan, which has been operating from Nottingham’s City Centre for 143 years, asked its team to vote on where it should focus 2024’s fundraising efforts. Its annual Charity of the Year initiative is in its twelfth year, and the Russell Scanlan team is keen to make a real difference by getting involved and lending a helping hand to organisations, typically around the local area.

Joanne Marriott, Commercial Manager at Russell Scanlan, said: “Our company ethos has and always will be centred around giving back to the community with which we have been a part of since 1881 – this is why Spectrum Wasp is a perfect fit for us.

“Charities everywhere are having to contend with various economic challenges and the rising cost of living, which puts further financial pressures on the public’s pockets. So, to keep Spectrum Wasp’s vital services going, we hope that with our support and platform that we’ll raise a significant amount of money to help fund the organisation's initiatives.”

Last year, Russell Scanlan supported local charity Hope Nottingham, after seeing how the cost-of-living crisis had led to an oversubscription of individuals across the county relying on food banks and charitable donations simply to get by. As a company, Russell Scanlan took part in several activity days throughout the year, donated monthly to Hope’s local food banks and ended 2023 with its Annual Charity Quiz, held at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. The total amount raised at the quiz was £3,000 and this was presented to the Hope team.

Jo added: “We’re looking forward to working with Spectrum Wasp and are currently planning some more exciting fundraising events that’ll take place throughout the year. All the information on our upcoming events and activities supporting the charity will be posted on our website, social media channels and eNewsletters - we hope that our clients, customers and colleagues can all get involved and support us this year on raising money for the wonderful charity.”

More information about Spectrum Wasp and how to offer support or to donate please take a look at its website.