The charity Friends of Robert Owen House, has been selected by the staff of Nationwide International as their chosen charity for fund-raising during the coming year.
Nationwide’s 65 staff annually propose charities that they would like to help, and then vote for their preference. The vote for Friends of Robert Owen House was described as “decisive”.
Brian Whitehead, secretary of the charity, said he was “delighted” with the news which he said would be a major bonus to the organisation, both in terms of the support from Nationwide International and the increase in profile for the charity itself.
“Lots of people may have heard of the Friends of Robert Owen House, but we know that many don’t know precisely what the charity does, so this is an opportunity for us to raise awareness,” he added.
The charity was created in the Isle of Man in 1995 to provide support to create and maintain accommodation for the family of seriously ill patients in a former nurses home alongside Broad Green hospital in Liverpool.
The idea of orthopaedic surgeon Robert Owen, who actually became a patient in the hospital where he worked. Robert Owen House has been described as a “Godsend” to hundreds of Isle of Man residents since 1995.
The charity says that Isle of Man residents occupy 50% of the bed nights at Robert Owen House every year, staying an average of 7 - 10 nights per person.
In the Isle of Man, Friends of Robert Owen House raises funds through a variety of events and activities by volunteers, including concerts, fairs, shows, making cakes and collection days at supermarkets.
Over the years, Nationwide International’s staff have demonstrated their community spirit and have made a number of significant contributions to charities through their ‘charity of the year’ initiative.
David Findlay, senior sales and marketing manager for Nationwide International, said, “The Friends of Robert Owen House is a great charity which annually raises considerable amounts to help maintain an extremely important facility at Broad Green Hospital.
“The staff at Nationwide International are delighted to give their assistance to the charity which helps families of seriously ill patients be close to their loved ones.”
