Westerleigh Group has named the Huntington’s Disease Association as its corporate charity partner in England and Wales for 2022 and has kick-started its support with a £22,000 donation.

Westerleigh Group is the UK’s largest owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 36 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.

This year the Huntington Disease Association marks its 50th year in supporting people with Huntington’s disease and their families.

In Scotland, the Group has named  Scottish Huntington’s Association as its charity partner for the year.

Westerleigh Group donates money to a wide range of charities all over the country every year.

The funds are usually raised through the group’s metal recycling scheme. With the consent of families, metals recovered during cremation are recycled and any funds raised are donated to charity.

Each crematorium chooses local organisations, charities or causes to benefit from the money raised by the recycling, which means each Westerleigh site gets to make a positive impact and provide valuable support directly to the communities they serve.

In addition, a small share of the money each site raises is sent to the group headquarters, to enable corporate donations to be made.

The group also undertakes several other fundraising activities and events every year to further support its communities.

But this year, in addition to continuing to support a range of community-based charities close to its crematoria, Westerleigh has decided to join forces with two particular charities and provide focused effort to their support throughout the year.

The Huntington’s Disease Association and Scottish Huntington’s Association both support people affected by the genetic neurodegenerative brain condition.

Earlier this year, Roger Mclaughlan stepped down as Westerleigh Group’s Chief Executive Officer, a post he held for nearly two years, after learning he had inherited the faulty gene that leads to Huntington’s Disease.

His successor, Debbie Smith, said: “Choosing the Huntington’s Disease Association and Scottish Huntington’s Association as our corporate charity partners for the whole year seemed to be a fitting way for Westerleigh Group to honour, thank and pay tribute to Roger for his leadership.

“We wanted to make an initial donation to mark the start of our year of partnership with the charities.

“But this is just the beginning. Over the coming months, our colleagues at our crematoria in England and Wales will be looking at other ways of supporting and raising money for the Huntington Disease Association.”

A cheque for £22,000 was presented to representatives of the Huntington’s Disease Association at Westerleigh Group’s Vale Royal Crematorium in Cheshire.

In 2021, Westerleigh Group raised almost £500,000 through its metal recycling scheme alone for the benefit of charities and community projects across England, Wales and Scotland.  

“The group is justifiably very proud of this, and we know that those donations were greatly appreciated by the charities and organisations who received them, and who work so hard to provide valuable services to the benefit of   communities surrounding our crematoria.

“For 2022, we want to take that further, with our corporate charity partners, and I can’t wait to see what Westerleigh’s staff, partners and our crematoria communities get up to this year to raise money for the Huntington’s disease charities.

“For me, it was a huge honour to present these significant donations during my first few weeks at Westerleigh.

“We look forward to making many more contributions to these very worthy charities during the course of the year.”

Cath Stanley, Chief Executive of the Huntington Disease Association said: "We are honoured that the Westerleigh Group has chosen the Huntington Disease Association as its charity partner for 2022.  

“We support people living with Huntington’s disease. We offer advice and support, training to health and social care professionals, and champion people’s rights. With the money raised through this partnership, we can continue to fight for a better life for people with Huntington’s disease."

You can make a donation to Huntington’s Disease Association here www.justgiving.com/campaign/westerleighgroup