MetLife donates £72K to childhood bereavement charity Winston’s Wish

April 10, 2024

MetLife UK, protection and employee benefits provider, has made a £72,000 donation to nationwide childhood bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, which supports bereaved children and young people along with their families and the people who care for them. 

Over the last 12-months employees at MetLife UK have been busy raising funds for Winston’s Wish. Through sponsored activities including the South Coast 25K run, the Three Peaks Challenge, Marathons, a 7-person team sky dive over Kent, bike rides, as well as in-office team events such as bingo and charity bake off sales, employees raised £16,000. 

The funds raised were further supported by MetLife Foundation whose focus is on driving inclusive economic mobility by supporting people with low income around the world build a more confident future,  MetLife Foundation made a  £56,000 donation to MetLife UK’s chosen cause and charity drive – bringing the total to £72,000. 

The donation was presented to Winston’s Wish by MetLife UK Managing Director, Dominic Grinstead and CSR Lead, Charlotte Lade, at their recent annual company meeting – after MetLife UK colleagues heard from a young person who had been supported by the charity after the recent loss of a parent. A very emotional and affirming presentation for all involved.

The funding provided by MetLife UK will support Winston’s Wish to reach more grieving children and young people through the charity’s ‘help our helpline project’ and will improve the on-demand services offered, such as the Freephone National Helpline, email and live chat services, and associated volunteer programme.  

In supporting this, this combined funding from MetLife UK and MetLife Foundation will ensure Winston’s Wish can:

  • Increase the number of telephone lines available- answering calls faster and reducing waiting times.

  • Provide a seamless and consistent experience across various channels, including voice, email, chat, WhatsApp/SMS and social media. 

  • Incorporate automation capabilities to meet their mission of service 24/7, including chatbots and virtual assistants, to streamline interactions and improve efficiency, leaving practitioners to focus on more complex issues.

  • Provides flexibility and scalability through cloud-based solutions, giving Winston’s Wish the ability to access the solution from anywhere with an internet connection.

  • Automate training requests and resource distribution.

  • Provide automated analytics and reporting features that gather insights into interactions with children and young people.  

With an average of 40 calls answered to support those in need every single day, Winston’s Wish was able to support just over 28,000 children and young people in 2023 through its’ vital on-demand services. 

This just highlights the reason why further commitment to maintain- this high-level service and continue to facilitate the needs of those impacted by bereavement is key, with approximately 55% of inbound calls coming from family members in need and 45% from professionals seeking advice and guidance, it’s clear this resource for young people is crucial in getting them the support they need.

 

Dominic Grinstead Managing Director, MetLife UK commented: “Our donation and partnership recognises the invaluable work and support Winston’s Wish offers to young people, both in the local community and across the UK, at a very difficult time. The decision to support a bereavement charity made perfect sense to us, as some of our Employee Benefit products and Individual Protection products are there to support families financially through the loss of a loved one. By raising funds for Winston’s Wish we also go some way to helping provide emotional support too.

“With more than 100 children and young people under 18 bereaved of a parent each day, we are proud to have been able to raise the funds to help ensure Winston’s Wish continues to be able to offer its vital support for so many. We look forward to continuing the partnership and brining hope to many more grieving children.” 

Fergus Crow, Chief Executive of Winston’s Wish commented: “We extend our heartfelt thanks to MetLife UK and MetLife Foundation for their pivotal investment in our mission. This unwavering support will catalyse a transformation in how we deliver our on-demand services, and in turn, our ability to reach more grieving children and young people. With your belief in our shared vision, we paint a brighter tomorrow where every child receives the support they need when someone important to them dies. Thank you for being champions of change and partners in our journey."