The Alex Panton Foundation, Jasmine, Cayman Cancer Society and NCVO have received a total of $10,000 from a fundraising event held by IMG Trust Company.
The money, which was divided equally between the non-profit organisations, was raised by IMG at the STEP conference which took place at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman in January.
Attendees were invited to cycle a sponsored mile on a static bicycle at IMG’s booth, with a target of pedalling the equivalent of 44 miles – the length of Grand Cayman and back.
Peter Goddard, managing director of IMG, who established the trust company in September 2022 with shareholders Maxine Bodden Robinson and James Lagan, said that philanthropy was a founding principle of the business.
“Giving back to the community is very important to us,” he said. “We aim to raise money for local charities each quarter and this initiative is the first of many we plan to host and encourage.
“These are very difficult times and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening in the Cayman Islands. IMG is happy to be doing its bit and we hope that other corporates and private individuals will do likewise.”
At the recent STEP conference, Michael Mansfi eld K.C. also spoke of the need for a philanthropic revolution to take place, in which the private sector engages in long-term charitable planning to help society plug the gaps in its provision for the needy.
In Good Hands
IMG stands for In Manibus Grandis, meaning “In good hands”, which is the ethos of customer service that the company extends to clients. However, the name has a poignant and personal meaning for Peter and his wife Abigail, as the initials are also in memory of their daughter Isabella Mya Goddard, who was lost to mental illness in 2019.
The tragedy is one of the reasons IMG chose the Alex Panton Foundation to be a beneficiary of the sponsored bike ride, as the organisation offers mental health support to young people in the Cayman Islands.
About IMG
IMG is an independently-owned Cayman Islands trust company specialising in contentious trusts, philanthropy and complex trust structures.
NCVO
NCVO is dedicated to the care, education and well-being of children and families in need of support in the Cayman Islands.
It has served more than 3,000 low-income families since the organisation was founded in 1974 by a community council including co-founders Miss Olive Miller and Mr. Richard Arch.
“We currently can house and care for nine full-time residential children in our 24×7 children’s foster home, and 55 children are enrolled from 4 months old in our nursery and preschool,” said Pamela Webster, CEO of NCVO.
“A particular challenge that we desire to address with additional resources is an increasing number of children in schools who have some form of special needs. Whilst the foster home receives some funding from Cayman Islands Government, the early education programmes are not funded for meals, teachers, or operating costs, so we must rely on the generosity of our community for fundraising.
“The IMG donation was gratefully received, and we continue to fundraise for our children in need with kind corporate donations and charity events.”
If you would like to help NCVO, please contact Mrs. Webster on 926-5404 or email [email protected].
Alex Panton Foundation
The Alex Panton Foundation is a non-profit organisation with the primary objective of raising awareness of mental illnesses affecting children and young adults in the Cayman Islands, with a particular focus on anxiety and depression.
This foundation was established in memory of Alex Panton, who succumbed to the effects of severe depression at the age of 16. It aims to provide hope and resources to friends, family, teachers, classmates and carers, to help save the lives of children and young adults struggling with mental illness.
The Alex Panton Foundation can be supported through donations, sponsorship and volunteering.
Cayman Islands Cancer Society
“For 2022 we had 66 new patients. This is in addition to the 329 existing patients that we were already helping, offering various programmes and services to the community.
These programmes include the society’s financial aid programme for cancer patients, awareness campaigns in relation to cancer prevention, the loan of homecare equipment and vouchers through the cancer screening programme.” – Shorline Blanchard, Acting Operations Manager.
Jasmine
Jasmine’s mission is committed to enhancing and improving the lives of people living with life-limiting illnesses. Central to this mission is providing long-term emotional and spiritual support and general well-being for patients and their loved ones.
Jasmine provides free of charge, respite services, palliative care, hospice care, and bereavement programmes to anyone living in the Cayman Islands.
“Jasmine is honoured to be supported by IMG Trust and the STEP Cayman conference,” said Ansley Easterlin, Jasmine’s marketing and fundraising manager. “Our work is, by necessity, quite private, so we are always extremely grateful when supporters show such faith in Jasmine as an organisation.”
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