Thirty-five years in business is quite a journey – from a loft in a 2-bed semi to a business that now employs over a hundred people in several countries. As we reflect on that journey, perhaps the most exciting thing is that the business has been able to make a real and substantial difference to many people in many places. Tonight’s celebration – the 20th such event – is the highlight of our calendar, and we are delighted that you are here to share it with us: thank you so much for making the effort to be with us.
There is something very good about being able to produce products and services that are themselves highly positive: our software helps people and organisations to do things efficiently, and cut out massive amounts of waste; in our holiday business amazing things happen every year when people are in a place to be refreshed and renewed; and access to the quality reading material we publish helps challenge, inform and guide. We are always grateful for the incredible loyalty of our many customers – and genuinely strive to make sure they remain happy and well served.
We have also travelled this road with wonderful colleagues, many of who themselves have been around AFD for over ten – or in several cases over twenty – years, and who own and display our culture and values.
Seeing them flourish and grow as individuals also affirms company objectives and we know that the ability to direct company gifts to good causes significant and personal to them, is very important indeed.
Sharing all the resources available to us – not only through charity giving, but in the wonderful location and facilities of Mountain View, and by using our influence and voice – helps fulfil our strategy to make a positive impact in our community and the wider world. These direct expressions of our Christian convictions and calling reflect all the motivations behind starting that small business in the loft back in 1983.
Thank you for your support. We know that you will be challenged and encouraged as you read a little more about our nominated charities in these pages – and astonished by what can be achieved by one company’s decision to release resources to them. The real heroes, though, are the untold numbers who faithfully strive in all these organisations to deliver amazing things in amazing ways. We, and the entire AFD team, salute them all….
This charity provides support for young people with disabilities and additional needs so they can fully participate in Scouting and learn and experience new things which enrich their lives.
The donation from AFD will be used to pay for uniforms and insurances taking the onus off parents and carers to cover this cost, making the group accessible to more children.
Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organisation taking decisive action against the cause and effects of hunger. They work in 45 countries around the world saving the lives of malnourished children and ensuring communities can access basic necessities.
The donation from AFD will be used to support projects around the world allowing Action Against Hunger to reach and treat a greater number of children suffering from hunger.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity – dementia affects over 850,000 people in the UK. Their mission is to bring about the first life-changing dementia treatment by 2025.
The donation from AFD will be used to continue to fund pioneering dementia research projects to take a step closer to a world free of dementia.
Autism in Mann is a parent support group run by families affected by autism. They provide training for members and professionals, produce a quarterly newsletter and run social events.
The donation from AFD will be used to help fund the continued role of a teacher specifically employed to work with children with autism and their families, whether that be in school or at home.
Beach Buddies promote beach cleaning in the Isle of Man, UK and globally. The charity promotes tackling the massive problem of plastic waste in our seas and oceans.
The donation from AFD will be used to promote their education programme and also towards the purchase of a new support vehicle.
The Bonar Trust identifies, encourages, supports and trains the next generation of Bible-teaching church leaders in Scotland to address the decline in traditional Christian church denominations.
The donation from AFD will help to support the living costs of church leaders in training and therefore enable more people to be trained.
Bunscooil Rhumsaa is the local primary school based in Ramsey, Isle of Man. They believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply learning to engaging contexts.
The donation from AFD was used towards the cost of the Year 6 Leavers hoodies ensuring that every child was included and received a hoodie.
C3 Foundation Europe provides information, resources and counselling support for those struggling with alcohol dependency, and their families.
The donation from AFD will help fund a breakthrough scheme with the aim of offsetting a proportion of the costs of travelling to see a doctor who specialises in treating alcohol misuse, which will therefore help get addicts into recovery more quickly.
Care for the Family aims to strengthen family life and help those hurting because of family difficulties across the UK and the Isle of Man. They provide parenting, relationship and bereavement support through their events, courses, training and volunteer networks.
The donation from AFD will go towards funding events in 2019 including TotSlot which provides practical tips to parents of 0-2 year olds to promote bonding, and also Raising Faith which supports Christian parents with inspiring a faith that lasts.
Lula, aged 10, doesn’t believe that it is right that 1 in 10 people don’t have access to clean water and so she raises money through gushgush; a project under the umbrella of charity: water to build water projects in developing countries.
The donation from AFD has funded a large portion of the printing and shipping costs of Lula’s latest campaign, to sell a book she has written, raising funds for gushgush.
Ramsey Respite Centre provides respite and support to young people with a disability and their families from all over the island. They provide a home-from-home environment in which young people can make new friends, gain additional skills and enjoy being part of the local community.
The donation from AFD will be used to purchase safety matting to go under a nest swing which will enable children and young people of all abilities (including wheelchair users) to get to and use the swing.
CARE campaigns and provides resources to help bring a Christian insight and experience to matters of public policy, education and caring initiatives.
The donation from AFD will help spearhead their work reaching out to the younger generation and will enable the provision of better resources for churches and Christians to fulfil their mandate to work for the good of society.
Christian Aid’s work is founded on Christian faith, inspired by hope and acts to change an unjust world through charity – a practical love and care for our neighbours. Working through partnering relations in approximately 60 countries, they provide assistance on the ground where the need is greatest.
The donation from AFD will be used to alleviate poverty through projects such as supporting the health of women living in the remote, northern plains of Burundi; an isolated area with poor health access.
The Christian Institute is a non-denominational charity working in the UK to uphold the truths of the Bible. As well as helping individual Christians and churches with strategic issues they also support individuals who face discrimination because of their faith.
The donation from AFD will help meet the costs of defending Christians throughout the UK and to develop database and information processes which underpin their work.
CAP works with over 600 church partners across the UK to tackle debt, unemployment, addiction and generational poverty in such a way that people can experience and respond to the love of God. With support from CAP, people have become debt free, found work and taken responsibility of addictions.
This year, the AFD donation will be used towards CAP’s Matched Funding, so they can expand the work they do with clients across the UK.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity operates across 18 sites in Merseyside and Cheshire where over 29,000 patients are treated annually. They provide a wide range of health-related activities focussing on patient care, vital research and the latest therapies and innovations in cancer treatment.
The donation from AFD will be used to part fund three additional scalp cooling systems which help prevent hair loss during chemotherapy treatment.
Cruse is a free, voluntary and confidential bereavement support service which supports around 300 adults, children and young people in the Isle of Man each year.
The donation from AFD will be used towards the reconfiguration of their new premises into a bespoke layout which will enable additional support sessions to be offered and will be more conducive to bereavement counselling.
Developing Orphans supports orphans in Northern Uganda to receive an education; to become self-sufficient and make a contribution to the community thus putting the future back in their hands.
The donation from AFD has been used as part of the SHARE project to send out 5 mobile units to promote sexual health education within the community. Funds will also be directed towards getting a purpose-built sexual health and wellbeing resource centre up and running in 2019.
Drop Inn Ministries aim to bring help, hope and healing in our hurting world, currently working with projects in Africa, India and Eastern Europe; delivering humanitarian aid and Christmas shoeboxes. Recently they have also opened a local drop-in for people in the community suffering from anxiety, depression and stress-related illnesses.
The charity inspired Charlotte, a sixth form student from RGS to support the appeal, making her own boxes paid for by undertaking part-time work in her spare time. The donation from AFD has directly covered the postage costs of all Charlotte’s shoeboxes and will also be used for transportation costs to Latvia for all donated shoeboxes. The funds will also be directed towards resources for the newly opened local drop-in – Renew 3.
The vision for Educate the Kids is to see children in Africa have their needs met, their rights upheld and their dreams fulfilled. The charity actively seeks out opportunities to educate the poorest children; those whom without help would have no hope.
The donation from AFD will be used to improve the infrastructure in the charity’s flagship Jolaurabi School in Kenya by extending facilities to accommodate more children and also providing more space to be able to serve school lunches.
Essential Christian exists to serve Christ by serving his church; enabling the church to equip Christians in faith and enabling God’s people to live as disciples for Jesus Christ.
The donation from AFD will help Essential Christian to continue to provide excellent services and resources.
The Fire Fighters Charity supports the fire service community for the times they need help themselves. They support injured firefighters to recover from physical injuries and also provide mental health support.
The donation from AFD will go to supporting all the programs offered to fire service personnel; giving them the chance to return to work, looking after their local communities.
Firestarter is a Christian youth work which runs an annual festival and then continues to support the attendees throughout the year by helping with many personal issues which arise.
The donation from AFD will be used to subsidise ticket prices for those who are financially struggling, ensuring that the festival is open to all.
GAP Ministries seeks to promote the furtherance of the Christian religion throughout the world via their missionary work in Asian churches, mainly in India.
The donation from AFD will be used by GAP’s partner Raj Ministries, to go towards the purchase of land near to the border between India and Nepal to provide school staff accommodation.
GHOP run discipleship schools and are now pioneering a base in the desert which has become a place of training, discipleship, outreach, prayer and also takes one day medical trips to the local villages. Partnering with local churches and serving their youth is very much on their hearts.
The donation from AFD will be used for ministry and discipleship training enabling those who come for training to go deeper into making God known to the majority.
Graih serves those who are homeless and in insecure accommodation in the Isle of Man by welcoming people on the margins and building transformative relationships with them.
The donation from AFD will help keep their drop-in open which provides practical support, emergency accommodation and a safe social space.
Hands of Hope seek to help the poor, needy and disadvantaged people of Romania by befriending families, enabling education, distributing aid and working in the community.
The donation from AFD will fund staff and resources to enable extra tuition for those children from poor families who are often marginalised at school and so easily fall behind in their school work.
HEART UK is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people with raised cholesterol and other blood fat and lipid conditions. Their aim is to prevent avoidable and early deaths caused by cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.
The donation from AFD will be used towards vital services such as launching a new website, running their helpline and producing literature to educate and support patients with high cholesterol.
Hope for Justice operates a proven multi-disciplinary model based on many years of combined experience to end modern slavery by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives and reforming society.
The donation from AFD will be used towards the delivery costs of their community prevention programme in Ethiopia, one aspect of which is to set up self-help groups for women empowering families to improve their livelihood to address the link between child abuse and economic poverty.
Ikhaya-le-Themba based in Zimbabwe, is a faith-based, non-profit organisation built on biblical values equipping communities to care for vulnerable families through community and skills development initiatives.
The donation from AFD will be used to help combat food poverty in the Townships by purchasing dehydrated meal packs, establishing home gardens and expanding the community gardens. This will equate to +4,000 meals for the beneficiaries.
The Federation is made up of a group of around 150 beekeepers who work hard to maintain the disease-free status of the Isle of Man from the varroa mite and furthermore educate the community and support the wider world as to the importance of bees and how to care for them.
The donation from AFD has been used to purchase beekeeping equipment which will be sent to Burundi in Africa, where a volunteer from the island will travel to teach local people how to earn a basic living from honey production.
Stuart, along with 16 other volunteers, cycled almost 1,000 miles and climbed 60,000 feet to raise money for the Isle of Man Children’s Centre; a charity whose vision it is to make the Isle of Man a safe and progressive community.
The donation from AFD will go towards the overall total which will be directed to a variety of community initiatives and services aimed at enabling children, young people and their families within the community to realise their full potential.
The Isle of Man Foodbank helps those in crisis who are unable to put food on the table. In addition to emergency food parcels they also draw up programmes of regular support to help clients get back to independence and provide access to services such as debt counselling.
The donation from AFD will be used to purchase a dedicated fridge freezer for the storage of vegetarian and vegan food helping them respect their clients’ lifestyle and conscience-based choices.
Live at Home are a dedicated Manx charity which act to reduce and eliminate social isolation and loneliness for the older adult population of the Isle of Man by offering community activities, giving members improved physical and mental wellbeing.
The donation from AFD will be used to help pay for the maintenance and upkeep of their two minibuses that are used to transport members to lunches and activities that they would otherwise be unable to attend.
Isle of Play supports the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, by helping to provide opportunities for all children on the Isle of Man to fulfil their ‘Right to Play’, facilitating play activities held across the island’s glens, parks and woodland.
The donation from AFD will ensure that all children can access these services regardless of their socioeconomic background and will also help to continue the development of services for disabled children and those with additional needs.
This charity supports citizens as a driving force in the community and engages with public, private and 3rd sector organisations to encourage the development of independent communities.
The donation from AFD will be used to continue to provide space and opportunities for a number of groups and activities and so improve community connections and the health and wellbeing of the community members.
Long Life Ministries was founded by William and Sharyn following Sharyn’s recovery from terminal cancer through prayer and exists to bring hope, healing and compassion into the lives of those touched by illness in any form, through counselling and ministry.
The donation from AFD will be used to enhance their online facilities to increase the outreach potential of the Ministry and to more easily share resources.
Macmillan Cancer Support are available to anyone affected by cancer, their family and friends, from the moment of diagnosis.
Services include healthcare, financial support, practical and emotional support as well as campaigning and raising awareness and providing training opportunities.
The donation from AFD will be used to continue providing personal, high impact support from Macmillan professionals or services, for those affected by cancer.
MAF uses a fleet of 128 aircraft to bring help, hope and healing to isolated communities in over 25 countries throughout the developing world. Their mission is to share God’s love through the use of aviation and technology.
The donation from AFD will be used to offer a matched funding opportunity to provide flights for their partners working in South Sudan and Uganda, supporting refugees and those who have been internally displaced.
Mannin Sepsis raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of sepsis and why early recognition is vital for saving lives by delivering talks and providing literature.
The donation from AFD will be used to replenish educational materials which provide information on recognising the signs of sepsis to living with the long term effects after surviving sepsis.
The Workshop provides facilities for disabled people in the Isle of Man to provide them with gainful and remunerative employment by manufacturing commercial goods.
The donation from AFD will be used to replace worn portable and battery-operated tools allowing the charity to maintain the quality of work for the production of saleable items.
Mary’s Meals sets up community-run school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities, where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education.
The donation from AFD will provide life-changing school meals to 143 children in Malawi for a whole school year.
Myeloma is a form of blood cancer that is treatable but not yet curable. Myeloma UK is dedicated to ensuring patients get access to the right treatment at the right time and to improve standards of treatment and care through research, education and awareness training.
The donation from AFD will support core activities such as supporting patients and their families following a diagnosis, funding world-leading genetics research and clinical trials as well as raising general awareness about the condition.
Naseem’s Manx Brain Tumour Charity supports Manx residents who are suffering with a brain tumour by providing financial assistance and the latest information.
The donation from AFD will be used to support brain tumour sufferers and their families with financial assistance. Such support may include travelling to Europe for treatments.
The Neonatal Unit cares for babies born prematurely and those born at term, requiring specialist care. The unit also provides a Neonatal Outreach Community team and a unit-based air ambulance team who transfer and retrieve infants to and from the Island.
The donation from AFD will be used to provide additional equipment to the neonatal unit so that it can continue to provide the highest level of care to new-born babies.
Operation Smile works to ensure that no child suffers from a lack of access to safe surgery. Since 1982, they have provided over 270,000 free surgeries to children and young adults born with cleft conditions and other facial deformities in the developing world.
The donation from AFD will provide life-changing surgery for 13 children born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, transforming their smiles and changing the trajectory of their lives forever.
Parent2Parent offers support to children and teenagers in the Isle of Man struggling with anxiety, depression or other mental health issues.
The donation from AFD will be used to pay for guest speakers to attend the support group meetings, providing professional advice to parents on how to cope in times of crisis.
Parkinson’s UK drives better care, treatments and quality of life for those with Parkinson’s disease. They work to support people and aim to bring forward the day when no one fears Parkinson’s.
The donation from AFD will help fund research into the causes of Parkinson’s and work to develop new treatments and ultimately a cure.
The Quicken Trust shows the love of God in action to the Kabubbu community in Uganda by providing the resources they lack and assisting them in acquiring the skills they need to provide for themselves.
The donation from AFD will be used for their Gift of Life campaign which aims to provide antenatal checks and mama kits for pregnant ladies, treatment for malaria, antibiotics and also simple surgical procedures for those in rural areas who cannot afford transport costs to access treatment in the town.
RBC is a community-loving church aiming to make Jesus known and reaching out to the wider community to share His love.
The donation from AFD will be used to facilitate and promote their community activities over the Christmas period and throughout the year.
The Ramsey Carnival is now in its second year of revival after a 24-year hiatus. The carnival creates a feeling of community spirit with schools and community groups coming together to take part in a procession through the town.
The donation from AFD along with that of other local businesses cover the costs associated with delivering the Carnival as the committee work towards self-sufficiency.
Ramsey Grammar School have teamed up as a venue with the Northern Theatre Experience to make live screenings of highly rated theatrical performances accessible to all in the community.
The donation from AFD will be used to publicise events and raise the profile of the venture with a view to it becoming self-sustaining.
Rebecca House is a children’s wing in the Hospice, Isle of Man which provides respite, palliative and end of life care for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions from birth to 18 years.
The donation from AFD will be used to support this continuing provision of care to families during these difficult times.
Renewable World works in East Africa and South Asia to tackle poverty through renewable energy. They provide power-poor communities with a clean and sustainable source of energy to light homes, pump clean water and power small businesses.
The donation from AFD will be used to help develop new and innovative proposals for their programme of renewable energy interventions, allowing them to move’ towards their goal of helping 100,000 people out of energy poverty by 2021.
The RNLI is a voluntary organisation involved in the safeguarding of those using the waters around the British Isles, whether that be for work or leisure.
The donation from AFD will be used to fund the provision of increased storage in the Ramsey Boathouse which will enable the crew to carry and operate state of the art equipment.
The Royal British Legion provide lifelong support for members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families all year round. They also campaign to improve their lives, organise the Poppy Appeal and remember the fallen.
The donation from AFD was used to provide reusable water bottles to 120 participants and stewards who took part in a fun run to commemorate the centenary of the end of the first world war, and to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal.
SAT-7 broadcasts satellite television and digital media in Arabic, Turkish and Farsi to the 500 million people of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) enabling their churches which are often small, isolated and facing restriction to make known the love of Christ, in the privacy of their own homes.
The donation from AFD will help to fund the production of new quality programmes, discipling and encouraging existing viewers whilst also challenging misconceptions of Christianity propagated in the region.
SUMT employs a team of full-time church, community and school workers to work in schools and with young people in the Isle of Man to bring ‘Faith Within Reach’ of every child and young person.
The donation from AFD will support the full-time workers in their activities and facilitate the future development of SUMT’s work in schools and churches around the island.
Simon on the Streets provides emotional and practical support to rough sleepers in West Yorkshire who are completely disengaged from accessing mainstream services.
The donation from AFD will go directly to their support services enabling outreach workers to continue to deliver vital support to incredibly vulnerable adults on our streets.
SOS Children’s Villages UK work in 125 countries worldwide which are impacted by conflict, natural disaster and extreme poverty to address the root causes of child abandonment and neglect.
The donation from AFD will be used for projects such as an emergency programme, in their school and vocational training centres or to help families lift themselves out of poverty through a family strengthening programme.
The Stauros Foundation works alongside vulnerable people ,and their families, who are in bondage to addictions. Their experience is that Jesus Christ can set people free from addiction.
The donation from AFD will be used to continue the outreach work supporting those in desperate need such as alcoholics, drug addicts, chronic gamblers and their families.
The role of the Foundation is to promote and support Music and the Arts specifically at St German’s Cathedral whether that be for regular worship or concert performances.
The Foundation also provide a music outreach to schools delivering free music input to children, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and wouldn’t otherwise have access to music education.
The donation from AFD will be used towards the refurbishment and modernisation of the choir’s rehearsal and teaching room which will ensure the benefit of a long-term, high-quality base from which to work and continue transforming young people’s lives through the focus of music.
Trócaire supports the most vulnerable people in the developing world, working in over 20 countries to deliver humanitarian assistance and long-term support to communities, while also raising awareness of injustice and global poverty.
The donation from AFD will be used to support people in the world’s poorest regions to live with independence and dignity.
Tyndale House is a biblical research institute in Cambridge which is committed to providing access to high-quality resources on the languages, history and culture of the Bible for academics from across the world, and particularly for those in the developing world, through research and accommodation grants.
The donation from AFD will benefit Christians, the general public and other organisations by making access to these resources easier via a new website and hard copy resources. The donation will also help fund a dedicated social media manager to engage more people.
Unlocking the Growth is the charity behind the National Weekend of Invitation which is a UK-based initiative offering invitations to thousands of people to come and know Jesus.
The donation from AFD has been used to take a stand at the Christian Resources Exhibition where the National Weekend of Invitation was launched in partnership with the Saltmine Theatre Group.
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