Al Rayan Bank donates over £74,000 to ten UK-based charities
Al Rayan Bank, one of the UK’s largest Islamic banks, has donated £74,578 to ten diverse charities, each receiving £7,457.80 to support their vital work.
The charities were selected through a collaborative process involving Al Rayan Bank staff. Employees made nominations, which were then shortlisted by the Bank’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee and endorsed by the Executive Committee, and Sharia Supervisory Committee.
The chosen charities range from small local organisations to larger national bodies, reflecting the Bank’s commitment to supporting communities around its London and Birmingham offices, as well as across the UK.
The beneficiaries of this donation are:
- Cancer Research
- Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (Sands UK)
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
- The National Society for Phenylketonuria (NSPKU)
- Centrepoint
- Crisis UK
- Acorn’s Children’s Hospice
- Shooting Star’s Children’s Hospice
- Ammalife
- Ladywood Community Project
Harpreet Dhillon, Chief People & Sustainability Officer at Al Rayan Bank, said, “We’re proud to be able to make these donations at a time when the demand for services provided by charitable organisations is higher than ever.
“At Al Rayan Bank, we pride ourselves on being ‘one team’ – a value we live by every day – and so, it was important to us to ensure that the process to select these charities was inclusive, ensuring voices from across the Bank were heard and we could support causes close to people’s hearts.”
One of the charities to benefit, Sands UK (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society), outlined the vital work the donation will support. Hannah Peck, Strategic Partnerships Manager for Sands UK, said, “Because of the support of Al Rayan Bank, we are able to answer calls to our helpline, offer memory boxes to help families grieve, and fund research to save babies’ lives.”
Another charity to benefit is Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity. Yi Zhou, Mass Participation and Fundraising Officer at Centrepoint, said, “With the invaluable support of organisations like Al Rayan Bank, we can continue our life-changing work in supporting homeless young people. Donations like these brings us one step closer to achieving our mission of ending youth homelessness by 2037.”
NSPKU (UK), the only charity dedicated to improving the lives of people living with the rare condition Phenylketonuria, also received a donation. Commenting on the Bank’s donation, Alison Green, Charity Coordinator for NSPKU (UK) Ltd, said, “Money donated will be used wisely by the society to support children and their families, and adults, who are living with PKU. All of this and much more is made possible by the generous donations we receive from fundraisers and friends of the society. We are always very grateful for this support.”
The Bank’s donation is also supporting Ammalife, a Birmingham-based charity which supports the lives of pregnant and postpartum women and their babies worldwide. Dr Leah Fitzsimmons of Ammalife said, “A corporate donation like this is so very important to our little (but mighty!) charity, and we are truly indebted to Al Rayan Bank. Ammalife exists to provide rapid and desperately needed support to mothers who might otherwise die where other organisations can’t.”
Another Birmingham-based charity to benefit is Ladywood Community Project, which supports people in financial hardship by providing grants, items, and services, including advice and signposting to agencies and organisations. Gerardine Giblin, Trustee of Ladywood Community Project, said, “We were delighted when we were contacted by Al Rayan Bank. Their donation means so much to us. It will enable us to carry on our much-needed work in this community, helping those who struggle financially and have nowhere to turn for help. We are a lifeline to many families who suddenly find themselves in crisis.”
The donation from Al Rayan Bank includes £1,046.55 from customers who have requested their money be donated to charity. For example, this could be from closed accounts with low balances that customers prefer to donate rather than receive.
Al Rayan Bank, founded in 2004, is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
For more information on Al Rayan Bank, please visit: https://www.alrayanbank.co.uk/
