Brunel Pension Partnership Limited (Brunel) is happy to announce that the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Clean Up Bristol Harbour (CUBH) have been chosen as the company’s charities for 2019-2020.
“When looking for charities, we looked for several different qualities,” says Will Findlay-Wilson, Assistant Investment Officer at Brunel, acting as one of Brunel’s Employee Voice charity leads. He explained that the following topped the list of requirements.
- A charity that is aligned with Brunel’s values
- A charity that offers direct and varied engagement opportunities
- Most of all, we wanted to work with a charity that Brunel staff could feel passionate about
“After researching these areas, we found several charities that fit the bill. We invited Brunel’s employees to vote on the charity they’d like to support, and we’ve arrived at a fairly unique option,” says Will.
The choice of the two associated charities comes via The Bristol Gulls, four intrepid rowers who include Brunel’s very own Sofia Deambrosi (Investment Officer, Private Markets).
An ocean-wide challenge
The Bristol Gulls are currently preparing to take part in a rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean in December 2020. The team will raise money for the RNLI and CUBH, while spreading a message about the importance of sustainable living.
“The Bristol Gulls are on a personal mission to complete the Atlantic crossing in a sustainable manner,” says Sofia. “This means that we will be eating, washing, and living only with the use of eco-friendly products. We’re taking this as far as we possibly can, to the point that we’ll be racing in the first ever Eco Ocean Rowing Boat to take part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.”
The specially designed boat will be built by Rannoch Adventure with a focus on sustainability.
Through their campaign, the team aim to raise awareness of the growing issue of plastic pollution and encourage the public to develop sustainable practices. “This is very much in line with the work that Brunel is doing in the responsible investment space,” says Will, explaining the motivation behind the wish to support The Bristol Gulls.
In addition to offering practical assistance to The Bristol Gulls in raising funds for their venture, which will in turn raise money for the RNLI and CUBH, Brunel staff are expecting to get hands-on with harbour clean ups and other events aimed at supporting our waterways.
About The Bristol Gulls
Aged between 24 and 33, the four members of The Bristol Gulls are Aileen Booth (Ali) from Glasgow, Chloe Juyon from Reunion Island/France, Lorna Carter from Cornwall and Sofia Deambrosi from Uruguay. They have each made Bristol their home and found each other through their shared passions of rowing, adventure and the wellbeing of our global waterways.
“This is more than a physical and mental challenge,” says Sofia. “It’s a chance to make a statement and really share our concern for our society’s current behaviour towards Planet Earth. Pollution of our land, air and waters is a an important problem, which has been evolving for a long time, but it’s not too late to do something about it to ensure a better place for future generations.” www.thebristolgulls.com
To donate to The Bristol Gulls, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/the-bristol-gulls
About the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
The RNLI is a charity that relies solely on public support to run the lifesaving service, with 95% of their lifeboat crews and lifeguards being volunteers. They provide a 24-hour rescue service in the UK and Ireland, and their seasonal lifeguards look after people on busy beaches. Their Flood Rescue Team also helps those affected by flooding. RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,200 lives since 1824 but are much more than a rescue service. Influencing, supervising and educating people too. Their international teams work with like-minded organisations to help tackle the global drowning epidemic in communities at risk all around the world. www.rnli.org
About Clean Up Bristol Harbour (CUBH)
CUBH is an initiative established by Chloe Juyon (one of the Bristol Gulls) during the summer of 2016. Every month the charity invites members of the general public to come along and pick up the floating rubbish that accumulates in the city’s beautiful historic harbour. Over the past year they have managed to collect over 250 bags full of rubbish – nearly half of which has been recyclable. CUBH aims to explore ways to push behavioural change when it comes to engagement with the harbour, keeping Bristol harbour clean and, in a wider sense, engaging with marine pollution-related issues such as plastic pollution. CUBH are looking to develop various projects tackling pollution of our local waters. www.cleanupbristolharbour.weebly.com
About Brunel Pension Partnership Limited
Brunel Pension Partnership Limited (Brunel) brings together circa £30 billion investments of 10 likeminded Local Government Pension Scheme funds. We believe in making long-term sustainable investments supported by robust and transparent process. We are here to protect the interests of our clients and their members. In collaboration with all our stakeholders we are forging better futures by investing for a world worth living in.
Brunel is one of eight national LGPS pools and manages the investment of the pension assets for the funds of Avon, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Environment Agency, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire. www.brunelpensionpartnership.org