Dealer Finance Organisation Giving to the Community

Llanishen, Cardiff ( Pressreleasecollection ) March 12, 2010 - During the economic downturn many industries have felt the strain. Understandably, all of us have had to tighten our belts and hold off buying those luxuries that were once easy to obtain. The motor industry, including car finance in the UK, has been one of the industries that have had to make changes. The scrappage scheme has made a significant positive effect, but this is due to end in March 2010. Many businesses have planned to reduce charitable and community spending in the coming year. However, this is not the case for one particular motor finance organisation that seeks to give the best car loans in terms of service, quality and excellence. Carlyle Finance is one of the leading independent motor finance organisations in the UK and has flourished through providing quality products and service to customers and helping them buy their next car so that they can enjoy their new pride and joy. Carlyle Finance has proven that purchasing a car on finance is a popular payment method, and is taking pleasure in being able to provide people with a secure and credible method for purchasing a car on finance.

As we have all been watching the pennies, one industry sector that has been affected is the charity sector; and it has suffered considerably. With redundancies taking place all over the country and general living costs increasing, it is easy to imagine the losses made within charity organisations as fewer people can afford to donate. Not just this, but during the recession more people have been in need of help from charities, and so the impact is even greater.

With Carlyle Finance currently recruiting and having achieved success in 2009 in the dealer finance market, the Carlyle Team felt great excitement at the opportunity to be able to help the charity sector and has since taken part in a number of charitable initiatives.

Firstly, Carlyle Finance has proudly become the Cheshire Jet’s main sponsor, supporting the team and importantly, the Jets Foundation. They lead many programmes involving working with children and individuals with disabilities. Carlyle Finance feel particularly passionate about the Jets because of the work they do in their community and Carlyle has brought this spirit to Cardiff in helping promote healthy living, fitness and nutrition to primary school children through their new programme, Hoops for Health. This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference, as it also teaches children about the implications of smoking and alcohol abuse. It is vital to make children aware of these risks at an early age to ensure they grow up knowing the facts so that they can make the right decisions. The Jets passionately encourage children to take part in Basketball through coaching and competitions and have already visited well over 100 schools. Carlyle Finance would be delighted to hear from you if you know of a particular school you would like them to visit.

Members of the Carlyle Team visited two primary schools in Cardiff on 2nd March to promote Hoops for Health. The team were specifically trained before the day so they were well equipped for the day’s events which taught children aged between 8- 11 years the benefits of fitness, healthy eating and the effects of smoking. The day was a complete success, with the children taking a real interest in the topics, as well as James Hamilton, the Cheshire Jet’s team captain being a great role model and example of healthy living.

As well as large events, Carlyle wanted to make small, frequent donations. Every Friday the whole Carlyle Team wear ‘dress down’ clothes to raise money for a selected charity by donating £1 each to the chosen charity, voted by employees. The charity of choice for 2010 is Headway, which raises money for brain injury. Brain injury can affect peoples’ lives in so many different ways, including the way a person thinks, physical problems or traumatic emotional injury which can affect movement and speech. This was a popular choice because brain injury affects so many people around the world and can happen at anytime in a person’s life. Even tasks that we take for granted can be difficult for a person with brain injury, such as eating and walking. When Carlyle put all the money donated in a pot at the end of the year, the money will be sent to Headway. Last year, the charity Carlyle generously donated to was Ty Hafan who helps children who will, in most cases, not live to see the age of nineteen. Ty Hafan offers support and seeks to improve the quality of life for these children and their families. The staff raised £2,614, which was matched by Carlyle, along with a Christmas donation of £1,500. £1,000 of the donation went towards updating the specialist toy library they maintain and also Christmas presents for the sibling Christmas party in December 2009.

Even outside of the office, members of the Carlyle Team have contributed their time and efforts to charities of choice, including Karen Wells, Input and Payout Manager, who ran a half marathon for the Meningitis Trust and amazingly raised £2,000, to which Carlyle donated a further £2,500. Claire Purcell, Underwriter, jumped out of a plane for Cancer Research and raised another excellent sum of £934. Each managed to raise considerable amounts of money from their colleagues, their families and Carlyle’s supportive dealers who kindly donated and showed their support.

Alongside this, Carlyle Finance is taking part in Sport Relief, helping donate money to poor and vulnerable people around the World. The money raised will go towards anyone suffering in poor conditions in the UK, to getting a child in Africa into a primary school. Carlyle has rented the sports hall in the local leisure centre for one week, where competitions for football, netball and volleyball will take place, encouraging all members of the team to get involved. Aside from staff donations, Carlyle Finance will be donating £2,500 to the charity. Please visit www.justgiving.co.uk/carlylefinance if you would like to make a donation.

These are just some of the things Carlyle Finance is involved with, and will continue to support charities of all kinds in the years to come. In the last year, Carlyle has donated a considerable sum, £13,404, to charity, and is seeking to increase the amount in the year ahead. Carlyle Finance feels proud to be giving back in these times, and with a strong future ahead for car finance in the UK, helping customers find the best car loans for them, the team feels proud to share the momentum in making a difference to peoples’ lives and looks forward to the opportunities that will arise where Carlyle can volunteer and donate.

As for the future, there are positive signs for the economic recovery and it is hopeful the charity sector’s donations will grow considerably over the coming months. We feel strongly that it is the responsibility of the organisations experiencing growth to ensure the charity sector is maintained, so people’s lives can continue to be improved.

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