Children’s Heartbeat Trust was delighted to be awarded a £25,000 donation from Insurance broker Gallagher’s.
The donation, by the Gallagher team based in Belfast, was made through the firm’s Making a Difference scheme, a nationwide initiative which invites colleagues from across its UK office network to nominate charities to receive vital funding for projects.
The charity holds special significance for Gallagher’s Client Account Manager Theresa Jackson, who submitted the application in aid of Children’s Heartbeat Trust. Theresa’s son Aaron was born with a hole in his heart and underwent open heart surgery in September 2020 at just seven months old.
Gallagher, one of the UK’s largest insurance brokers, has had a presence in Belfast for 65 years, employs over 60 people, and looks after the insurance needs of many businesses across Northern Ireland, from small to medium-sized enterprises through to large, multinational companies.
Commenting on the donation, Theresa said: “I know first-hand just how valuable the support provided by Children’s Heartbeat Trust is for families whilst dealing with the stress and anxiety of caring for a sick child who requires major surgery. At an extremely worrying and uncertain time, the team were always at the end of the phone offering practical advice and an ear to listen.
“My son Aaron was born with a massive hole in his tiny heart, and at 7 months old underwent open heart surgery and honestly it was the support we received from the Children’s Heartbeat Trust that made the process somewhat bearable.
“They were always at the end of the phone offering support and practical advice. They were our “go to” when our baby suffered complications post-surgery and the outcome was very unclear. We relied on them heavily in this time for emotional support and financially they assisted us as the cost of having travel for surgery racked up when our 1 week stay turned into a 3 week stay.”
“I am absolutely thrilled that my application to Gallagher’s Making a Difference scheme has secured the top prize and am so happy that we are able to support this good cause, and help them continue their vital, local work.”
Lynn Cowan from Children’s Heartbeat Trust, commented: “We are absolutely elated to be chosen as the winner of the Making a Difference competition and receive this donation of £25,000. As a small charity in Northern Ireland, we are proud to be chosen from hundreds of worthy charities from across the UK. We rely heavily on public donations to fund our services, and are indebted to Gallagher for its contribution which will make a huge difference to families of children affected by heart disease.”
“The donation will go towards the charity’s support programme of grants for families who have to travel outside of Northern Ireland for their child’s life-saving heart treatment to help alleviate the financial strain and impact of having a sick child in hospital. Last year, the charity granted over £75,000 in support to families.”
“We are delighted that Aaron is going well following his surgery, and in addition to receiving this wonderful donation be nominated also by Gallagher’s Belfast office as its charity of the year for 2022. We look forward to working with them.”
