Northern Ireland’s largest insurance broker marks 50 years in business by urging staff to join 50k in May Challenge

AbbeyAutoline, Northern Ireland's leading insurance broker, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the launch of its companywide challenge to walk, run, bike or hike 50km in May in aid of AWARE NI.

To mark Mental Health Awareness month, AbbeyAutoline is inviting its 440 staff across all 15 branches in Northern Ireland to participate in the '50k in May' challenge. Participants will aim to walk, run, bike or hike 50km during the month of May, tracking their progress and sharing updates with colleagues through a dedicated app.

The fundraising efforts will raise much needed monies for AWARE NI - a local charity that provides mental health services for those affected by depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

AbbeyAutoline marked its golden milestone during 2023 by launching an ambitious programme of community outreach activities which will support a number of local charities and organisations to ‘give back to the communities’ which have supported the growth of the business over the past 50 years.

Julie Gibbons, managing director of AbbeyAutoline, said: "We are delighted to be celebrating 50 years in business, and we wanted to mark this milestone by doing a series of initiatives that would benefit the wider community, the first of which is our health and wellbeing focused ‘50k in May’ challenge.

“We asked staff across our network of branches to nominate a beneficiary charity, and we are delighted that they have selected AWARE NI. Mental health is an issue that affects many people, and we wanted to show our support for the excellent work that AWARE NI does by raising funds and awareness through this challenge.

"We believe that our challenge will not only raise much-needed funds for AWARE NI, but it will also help to promote the importance of physical activity for mental wellbeing. We hope that our staff will enjoy the challenge and feel proud to be making a positive contribution to the community."

AWARE NI is a charity that works tirelessly to provide vital support and education for those affected by depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The charity offers a large network of peer-led support groups run by a team of trained volunteers and the charity also deliver mental health and well-being programmes to schools, universities, and workplaces.

Lisa Abell-Farrelly, corporate partnership officer at AWARE NI, added: “We would like to thank AbbeyAutoline for their generosity and support towards AWARE NI. Every step taken during their 50K in May challenge, will make a real difference to the lives of those affected by depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

“We are incredibly grateful for their dedication to our cause and their commitment to raising awareness and funds for mental health services here in Northern Ireland.”

AbbeyAutoline recently acquired BMG Insurance, Portadown and Newtownbutler. The acquisition of BMG Insurance is part of AbbeyAutoline’s continued expansion strategy following its launch in 2020 after the integration of Abbey Insurance and Autoline.