GLOBAL FINANCE GIANT GIVES BACK TO COMMUNITIES

Aberdeen Asset Management said it is looking forward to its continued support of good causes in 2017 after donating well over £100,000 to charities and trusts in Aberdeen and Edinburgh and also providing volunteer support during 2016. Through its Charitable Foundation the company is dedicated to helping improve the lives of those who live in the regions where it operates.

A whole range of projects were supported financially during 2016, with many also including volunteer assistance from the firms employees; such as when the firms employees slept rough in cardboard boxes, in a car park to support the Aberdeen Cyrenians. The Charitable Foundation also contributed to Aberdeenshire communities affected when the River Dee burst its banks. Several other charities in the Aberdeen area also received donations from the Charitable Trust including - Penumbra, who run mental health sessions for people of all ages in the Granite City, The Northsound Cash for Kids Bed Appeal, Wings for Warriors, which offers wounded servicemen and women careers in aviation and the NSPCC, which is working with primary-aged pupils to help them stay safe from abuse and neglect.

In Edinburgh, Aberdeen Asset Management also gave support to a number of projects including a donation to Redhall School, which allowed schoolchildren with special needs to take part in a four-day activity camp at the Calvert Trust Centre in Northumberland. The activities were designed to help boost confidence and independence. They also provided support to Gorgie City Farm, a youth project which enables teenagers facing difficulties in their lives to work with animals in its pet boarding facilities. Learning to look after small creatures like guinea pigs, rabbits and even stick insects can help young people develop qualities of caring and empathy.

Lynda Affleck of Aberdeen’s Charitable Foundation says: “It is incredibly important to us to support the communities in which our staff live and work. With almost 1,000 staff in Scotland, we are delighted to have been able to support a wide variety of causes across the country this year, both with financial donations and with voluntary effort, and look forward to continuing to do so in 2017.”