Covea lands major Business Charity Award

Three-day trek: The team of insurance professionals during the Mont Blanc challenge.

Halifax based business Covea Insurance, along with Alzheimer’s Society, has won the 2019 Challenge Event of the Year Award at the Business Charity Awards.

Led by former director Simon Cooter, a team of 25 insurance professionals embarked on a three-day trek on Mont Blanc – western Europe’s highest mountain.

The trek supported Alzheimer’s Society’s Insurance United Against Dementia campaign, which is uniting the insurance industry to raise £10 million for dementia research.

The team smashed its original fundraising target of £75,000 and then a revised target of £85,000, eventually raising £103,642.

The initiative was branded ‘InsureTrek’ by the Covea Insurance marketing team, who also supported the event with social media and PR.

Head of marketing at Covea Insurance Michelle Neary said: “I confess I was a little uncertain about taking part initially but, having done so, this was genuinely one of the most inspiring experiences of my life, and I know I’m not alone in saying that.

“Alzheimer’s has touched so many families, mine included and it was a real privilege to be part of something that galvanised our industry to come together and moved so many people to lend their support “

Award Judge Nicola Bott, head of partnership development at Teenage Cancer Trust, said what had impressed the judges was that it was “A clever initiative with a simple execution that over-achieved its results” and that “it raised awareness of the cause, and had a good impact”.

Covea Insurance beat other award finalists Poundland and Dulux to win the Challenge Event of the Year Award. The funds raised will easily cover the cost of a three-year PhD to carry out ground-breaking research at the UK Dementia Research Institute.