NFU Mutual Isle of Wight has nominated local charity, Mountbatten Isle of Wight, to receive a donation of £7,899 from NFU Mutual’s national £2.33million ‘Agency Giving Fund’.
The Island’s only hospice
Mountbatten Isle of Wight provides palliative and end-of-life care and is the Island’s only hospice. 85 per cent of this care is delivered in the homes of Islanders and through outpatients and day services at the John Cheverton Centre, with the rest on its inpatient unit.
Most of the funding Mountbatten Isle of Wight needs to continue to deliver its vital services comes from the Island’s community, including through gifts in Wills, its network of retail shops, fundraising and donations.
The donation from NFU Mutual Isle of Wight will help pay for the refurbishment of the charity’s gym, creating a welcoming and inclusive space for the people being cared for, their loved-ones and carers, and the clinicians who support them.
More than just fitness
The gym plays a vital role in helping the people cared-for by Mountbatten Isle of Wight maintain strength, mobility and independence, and supporting physical and emotional wellbeing, by helping reduce pain, fatigue and anxiety.
Charlotte Hornblow, Community Fundraising Lead (Group) at Mountbatten Isle of Wight said,
“A donation supporting Mountbatten Isle of Wight’s gym is about so much more than fitness. It supports our rehabilitation and physiotherapy experts to ensure people stay active for longer, boosting their quality of life.
“It supports wellbeing, because our gym users feel fitter and healthier when they clock up the kms on our static bikes, and because they are forming new friendships and benefitting from peer support.
“It allows people to overcome barriers, whether that’s standing tall by using the support bars, or by allowing them to climb the stairs again.
“It builds trust between gym users and clinicians, opening up challenging conversations and helping ensure personalised care is delivered when it is needed.
“Thank you, NFU Mutual Isle of Wight, for this generous donation and your ongoing support.”
Seen the impact first-hand
John Heather, Senior Agent at NFU Mutual New Forest, Isle of Wight and Bournemouth, added,
“Having spent time with the team at Mountbatten and seen the impact of their work first-hand, we’re delighted to support the refurbishment of the gym.
“The facility plays an important role in helping patients maintain strength, mobility and independence, while supporting their overall wellbeing.
“We hope this contribution will make a lasting difference to those who use the space, and we look forward to continuing our support of Mountbatten through future community initiatives and events.”
National fund in its sixth year
The leading rural insurer launched this fund, now in its sixth year, to help local frontline charities who need it most across the country, and it forms part of NFU Mutual’s £4m funding pledge for both local and national charities in 2026.
To help ensure these donations reach all corners of the UK and are directed to where they’re needed most, all NFU Mutual agencies, which includes more than 280 agency offices nationwide, have been given the opportunity to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund.
News shared by Chantelle on behalf of NFU Mutual Isle of Wight. Ed
