Local charity chosen to kickstart new national giving chain

Benefact Group, one of the UK’s leading corporate donors, has launched a bold new initiative - Pay it Forward - putting the power of giving directly into the hands of those who understand its impact best: charities themselves.

Part of the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards, which gives over £1 million to charities each year, Pay it Forward is being piloted in 2025 with a dedicated £50,000 fund.

The initiative has launched with five charities across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, each receiving £2,000. To start each chain, Benefact Group selected charities that had been nominated in its Movement for Good programme over multiple years but never won. From that point on, it's down to each charity to choose the next - a true 'pay it forward' chain of generosity that will ultimately benefit 25 charities.

The Benefact Group is a family of financial services businesses, including specialist insurer, Ecclesiastical, and the ethical investment firm EdenTree, that exist solely to give back. All available profits go to charity, distributed through initiatives like the Movement for Good Awards, which donates over £1 million a year to good causes.

Chris Pitt, Group Impact Director from Benefact Group said: “Charities know their sector better than anyone. We’re excited to see where their insight leads and how this trust-based chain of giving plays out. It’s about community, collaboration, and curiosity – what happens when we give charities the reins?”

The first five charities in the chain are:

• Giddo’s Gift (Wales) – offering gifts and experiences to young cancer patients.
• Kindness Homeless Street Team Glasgow (Scotland) – feeding over 200 vulnerable people weekly and expanding mental health services.
• TinyLife (Northern Ireland) – supporting families of premature babies from hospital to home.
• Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland (Ireland) – providing trained dogs and emotional support to children with autism.
• Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club (England) – promoting beach safety and lifesaving training.

Mandy Giddins, Founder of Giddo's Gift said: "Giddo’s Gift is a fitting legacy to my son Jordan who was taken from us by Childhood Cancer aged 18. He always thought about others before himself and loved to give gifts. The charity provides gifts, wishes and short breaks away in our charity caravan to young people and their families as they navigate a cancer diagnosis. We provide something special to look forward to at the worst time in their lives, with many social workers and families telling us our work is invaluable. This grant will enable us to help bring smiles to the faces of so many more young people."

Every two weeks, a new charity in the chain will be unveiled - each one handpicked by the one before it. Follow Benefact Group on social media to witness just how far the spirit of giving can spread. All participating charities will be revealed by June 9.