The Westerleigh Group has made a £3,000 donation to kick off its new partnership with the Bristol City Football Club Robins Foundation.

Westerleigh is the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 34 sites nationwide, and has its headquarters just outside Bristol.

Now the group has become the latest member of the Robin’s Foundation Shared Duty Club and has kick-started the new partnership by making a £3,000 donation.

The money was raised through the Westerleigh Group’s metal recycling scheme. With the consent of families, metals recovered during cremation are recycled, and any money raised is used to support worthy causes in the communities surrounding each of the group’s facilities.

Westerleigh is hoping that joining the Shared Duty Club marks the beginning of a long partnership – with the community running out as the winners.

The Shared Duty Club works with companies to help them implement their corporate social responsibility and employee engagement strategies. It also provides voluntary opportunities within community projects and links community organisations together.

Westerleigh Group has a strong ethos of becoming an active member of the communities in which it operates.

Commerical and Operations Support Manager Matthew Brook said: “It’s incredibly important for businesses to play their part and support the community – we are very aware of the important role of charities locally in supporting and helping local people – and we’re honoured to be able to help with that.

“We are hoping that this donation is just the beginning of a continued partnership with the Foundation where we can collaborate to help make the city of Bristol better.”

Bristol City Robins Foundation Projects and Partnerships Manager, James Edwards, said: “It’s great to have Matt and the Westerleigh Group involved in our Shared Duty Club.

“It has been a hard year for everybody and there have been so many unsung heroes, but none more so than the team at the Westerleigh Group and those working in the bereavement profession, all of whom have done an outstanding job looking after the bereaved during this time.

“It’s fantastic that they recognise the positive work that we do in the community to help improve lives and their investment enables us to continue our free provision and hopefully this relationship will last for many years to come.”