Firstly, an apology for the lack of content on this blog in recent weeks. Between firstly ascending the three largest peaks in the UK in 24 hours to cycling the 340km from Brussels to Amsterdam over the weekend, and two charity bake sales thrown in for good measure, it has been a fairly busy start to the summer for the TAM team! Although this blog was scheduled to delve into our investments in the TAM Sustainable World portfolios, I feel compelled to talk about the charities I, and many others are incredibly proud to have partnered with and pedalled for over the last few days.
Nick Hungerford, known as one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs after founding the personal investment site Nutmeg, tragically passed away at the age of 43 after a battle with bone cancer. His legacy, to those of us who weren’t fortunate to have known him personally, is the nonprofit named as a tribute to his young daughter, Elizabeth’s Smile.
The charity was set up to help millions of children who will lose a parent to terminal illness. Their crucial work empowers grieving children to develop resilience and cope with the loss of a parent. I took the below from Nick’s wife and co-founder of the charity Nancy Hungerford, speaking eloquently to Nick’s motivations for starting the charity:
“Nick was determined that our daughter Elizabeth, and many others like her, would be given equality of opportunity - if not circumstance - to live out their dreams.”
The TAM Charity Ride fell on the one-year anniversary of Nick’s death. With the charity now helping children through informative guides for grief and loss, which offer support on how to explain to a child the devastating news that one of their parents has died, including what age they can likely comprehend the finality of such a statement. Their innovative ‘smile network’ is a secure online community to gather a parent’s circle of friends and professional contacts to preserve and share their memories, providing a crucial support network to unite in the face of the loneliness that such a tragic event brings.
We were also incredibly proud to have been able to extend the reach of both the funds raised and awareness of the ensuing grief of losing a parent by supporting Elizabeth’s Smile’s partner charities: Winston’s Wish and the Ruth Strauss Foundation. All sharing in the same mission, it was a privilege to meet representatives of the charities and hear their stories, both personal and on behalf of those who have been helped by previous funds raised. One such example from Harvey, who lost both his Mum and Dad, showed how Winston’s Wish offered him support and guidance in navigating the horrific reality he was thrown into at such a young age.
The standout moment for me was before we set out on a 140km (87 miles) cycle on day 2 of 3 where we were told just how prevalent a problem this is. 127 children each day find out that they have lost a parent and 1 in 20 children have experienced the death of a parent by the age of 16. Some of my peers and fellow cyclists bravely shared how they themselves had lost parents at a young age, which cemented this cause in many of our hearts and motivated us even more to raise much needed funds for those who are dealt such a life shattering hand.
I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the organisers, support van drivers and network of volunteers that made the challenge possible. Secondly, to all those who gave up their time and copious calories (!) to join the TAM team on the cycle. It is a privilege to be in a firm and wider industry that go out of their way to give so much back. Lastly, thank you to the generous people who have donated to this truly fantastic cause. We have now passed £60,000 raised as a team and are closing in on our target of £70,000! If you haven’t donated and are able to, please consider it by following this link. It is very much appreciated.