In a week that saw the team at, discretionary fund manager, Creechurch Capital swap trading funds for becoming pop-up shop traders, the community came together for Isle of Man Live at Home.

The initiative involved every single person in the award-winning firm. The pop-up dubbed the ‘Charity Boutique’ took up residency at 33 Victoria Street selling pre-loved items, teas, coffees and local produce, as well as hosting a number of events including an afternoon tea and a family fun day.

The innovative week saw the whole team at Creechurch Capital donate their time and learn new skills to deliver an exceptional schedule of events.

Mary Brady from Creechurch Capital commented: “The reality is the team balanced this charity and community initiative with the day job because of the sheer passion they felt for the idea and Island. Juggling work alongside months of planning and a very intensive week has pushed the team outside of their comfort zones but they really pulled it off, it has certainly been worth it. All too often in our industry, the perception is of unapproachable teams behind oak-panelled, brass trimmed doors so we are always very keen to be out within the community and making a difference wherever we can.”

In a bid to capture the spirit of the local community the business selected a charity with roots firmly grounded in bringing together residents and set out with a timetable of activities aiming to unite young and old in a fun-filled and (in the case of the afternoon tea, quite literally) jam-packed week.

Mary explained: “When you aim as high as we did with this event there is always a risk, because for as much time and passion as we put into the initiative, we are so dependent on the buy-in of the public to make it a success. The support has far exceeded our expectations. There are two clear reasons for this. The Isle of Man Live at Home is a fantastic and worthy cause that people are passionate about helping. The second is that the Isle of Man is home to the most generous and community-spirited people.

“What has shone through all week is this spirit of people and partners who have gone above and beyond to show their support; whether it was donating items for us to sell, popping in for a coffee or attending one of the events, everyone who walked through the door brought a smile and a desire to support our older neighbours.”

This event joins a list of charitable activities the business has partaken in since the start of the year as part of its Giving the Gift of Time campaign. The campaign has seen every team member at the company has pledged to donate 2017 minutes of charitable time over the year.

Mary continued: “The purpose of this campaign goes beyond showing support by writing a cheque and I think the Charity Boutique really captured this sentiment. We’re now half way through the year, and therefore the campaign, and we’ve been really proud of how the team has got behind it.”

A number of local businesses are also responsible for making the event a success by generous donations of resources. One such business was MannVend which donated refreshments including Noa Bakehouse coffee and trained Creechurch Capital staff on how to make the perfect coffee. Another business was Niarbyl Outside Catering who supplied the food for the afternoon tea event which saw over 50 residents tuck into a variety of their sandwiches and cakes. Marks and Spencer also generously donated clothes rails, hangers, a number of plants amongst other items to deck out the shop.

All funds raised will support the work of Isle of Man Live at Home. The charity works to support independence and relieve social isolation and loneliness amongst older Island residents.

Jo Dixon from the charity commented: “It’s been a real boost for us at a time when resources are stretched. We’re thrilled that this event has opened the conversation about what we do to all walks of life. In addition to the funding, we’ve seen a tangible impact on awareness and we’re hoping to have recruited a few new volunteers off the back of it. A huge thank you to everyone at Creechurch Capital who has made this possible.”