Partners at DM Hall, one of Scotland’s largest independent firms of chartered surveyors, have decided to extend the duration of their funding support for two leading Scottish charities, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) for a further twelve months.
The agreement with the firm’s charity partners was put in place in January 2019 and was due to conclude in December 2020. But the ravages of the Covid-19 epidemic and the severe impact it has had on Scotland’s charity sector, both in terms of cash and staff employed, has led the firm to pledge its continued support for a further year.
Eric Curran, Managing Partner of DM Hall, said: “We have all suffered due to the lockdown, but whereas, as a firm, we are experiencing a return to something like pre-lockdown trading volumes, Scotland’s charity sector is still struggling to come to terms with the new reality.
“As a result, we have decided to continue to support SAMH and Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland which, in the 14 or 15 months until March this year, resulted in our raising a total of £18,000 for both charities.
“We have invited our colleagues to sign up for the SAMH VIRTUAL stomp, while they will also have the opportunity to do a fund-raising Virtual Kiltwalk later in the summer. The charities will work jointly on a programme for the coming months and funds will be split.”
SAMH, which was formed in 1923, currently operates over 60 services in communities across Scotland providing mental health social care support, addictions, and employment services, among others. These services together with SAMH’s national programme work in See Me, respectme, suicide prevention, sport and physical activity; inform SAMH’s policy and campaign work to influence positive social change.
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland supports people and their families affected by chest, heart, and stroke conditions to take back their lives, regain their confidence and independence. The charity seeks to ensure that life living with a chest or heart condition, or after a stroke, is a life lived to the full. It fights for better health for everyone and works to make sure there is help and support in every community for anyone who needs it.
Fiona Lewis, Corporate Partnerships Manager for SAMH, said: “All of us at SAMH are delighted by the extension of our partnership with DM Hall, which will fund crucial mental health support for people across Scotland. We want to say a huge thank you for stepping up to support Scotland’s mental health during these challenging times.”
Gillian Green, Assistant Director of Fundraising for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland said: “We are so thankful to DM Hall for extending the charity funding initiative for another year. This means we can continue to provide specialised support to people who really need our help.
“Over the past few months, we have seen demand for our services double as more people in Scotland than ever before are in desperate need of our services. This extension will allow us to reach people when they need us most and support them to live their lives to the full.”
Mr Curran said: “We aim always to have charity partners, nominated and voted for by colleagues, with which we then enter into a two-year relationship. We are pleased that, in these exceptional circumstances, SAMH and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland will continue as our charity partners until December 2021.”
In the two years to December 2018, the efforts of the DM Hall team raised £60,000 for its then charity partners, Alzheimer’s Scotland, and Macmillan Cancer Support.
DM Hall, which was established in 1897, has 26 offices throughout Scotland and more than 240 members of staff.