NFU Mutual agents and their staff at the Wells agency have nominated local charities Connect Elim and PROMISEworks to receive a donation of more than £1,500 from a national £1 million Agency Giving Fund launched by NFU Mutual's head office.

In light of the national emergency this country is facing, NFU Mutual, the UK's leading rural insurer, allocated £1 millionto help local frontline charities at this difficult time.

To help ensure this support reaches all corners of the UK, NFU Mutual has reached out to its Appointed Representative network of local agents.

Consisting of around 300 independent agency businesses and nine NFU Mutual branches, each has been given the opportunity to nominate a handful of local charities to receive a share of this fund.

Connect Elim want to help adults who are in some way disadvantaged to rediscover hope, meaning and strength through the connecting of our lives.

They're committed to developing effective relationships between people and organisations to make a difference in and around Mendip.

Suzanne Addicott, community service manager at Connect Elim, said: "We are so thrilled to receive this grant for the work we do with the homeless especially in Covid-19.

"We have needed funds to extend the work we do in the community at a time of crisis and this generosity continues to make this possible.

"We have kept the kitchens open and been cooking and sorting donations for our Take Away Drop In.

"We have provided fresh healthy food bags twice a week and supported many that we have housed over Covid-19 in temporary accommodation with daily food.

"Over this time, we have been able to give out or deliver 1,075 meals to those affected. We also brought together a group of volunteers into an Impact Team.

"As an outreach team we worked hard to engage and house rough sleepers in Mendip. We also seek to engage digitally so that everyone can get the help they need.

"NFU Mutual's grant will enable us to get more tablets so that we can do effective work out and about in the community."

The donation to PROMISEworks will allow them to continue delivering mentoring for Somerset's most vulnerable, disaffected and disadvantaged young people.

Ali Hart, lead case holder for PROMISEworks, said: "We are only just starting to realise what the lived experience of lockdown was like for some of the young children and young people PROMISEworks supports.

"For many a weekly phone or video call from their mentor was the only contact that they had outside of family.

"Our mentors showed enormous commitment and dedication to keeping their relationships with their mentees going over the early stages of the pandemic, writing stories, making up quizzes and setting challenges.

"This wonderful grant from NFU Mutual allowed PROMISEworks staff to continue to offer the support our volunteers need and to be creative in terms of assisting with digital contact.

"We are extremely grateful that this grant has allowed us to continue to mentor some of the county's most vulnerable young people."

Phil Chalker, agent at NFU Mutual Wells, said: "The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on everybody, including our customers and their local communities.

"The work by Connect Elim been a vital lifeline for disadvantaged and homeless adults, who need support more than ever during the pandemic. We were pleased to be able to support their continued outreach work into the community.

"PROMISEworks is supporting some of the community's most vulnerable young people in these challenging times, and we are proud to have been able to nominate this local charity to benefit from NFU Mutual's national fund."