IICF Raises £145,000 at Gala Dinner

IE likes to feature a few Friday feelgood stories, so here’s the news from the IICF;

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a nonprofit organisation that unites the industry to create better futures for people through volunteering and grants to social mobility charities, announces it has raised nearly £145,000 following its 10^th anniversary Gala Dinner held on October 9^th 2025.

Industry sponsors of the evening included Vitesse, The Hartford, AXA XL, Costero Brokers and MedPro who, alongside each guest at the dinner, have allowed the IICF to increase funds raised for future grant recipient charities. This year, these funds will benefit charities including Envision, EveryYouth, GoodWork and Reach Out.

Held at the Plaisterers’ Hall, the IICF’s signature fundraising event brought together more than 250 insurance leaders representing over 35 companies. This significant representation demonstrates the insurance industry’s commitment to creating impact in local communities while helping to build a more socially responsible industry. 

The IICF is proud to be celebrating a decade of impact in the UK in 2025. Since launching in 2015, IICF has raised over £3M for grants to social mobility charities, helping to change the lives of more than 8,000 people facing adversity to excel in school, find meaningful employment and make a new start in life.

At the same time, the IICF has enabled insurance companies to access diverse talent, strengthen employee engagement through volunteering and amplify their community impact. This impact was brought to life for guests at the gala with remarks from Lucy Pryce, Head of Development at Making the Leap and Nikita Vaghela, an ambassador for the charity.

Phillip McGriskin, CEO of Vitesse, then presented the ‘Above & Beyond’ awards to the aspiring insurance leaders that make up the IICF’s Associate Board. This award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the IICF and, as such, the community, over the last twelve months. This year, the awards went to Aran Banerjee at KPMG, Octavia Cooper at RSA and Rishi Sumra at Enstar Group.

Phillip McGriskin, CEO of Vitesse, said:

“At Vitesse, we believe that doing the right thing should be a part of how we grow. Supporting the IICF is an extension of that belief, bringing the same focus on trust, resilience, and connection that defines our business into the communities around us. We’re proud to stand alongside our industry peers to help create opportunities that empower people, open doors, and drive lasting positive impact.”

Wendy Wilder, Executive Director of the IICF UK, remarked:

“When we launched the IICF in the UK ten years ago, we discussed different focus areas for the foundation. We chose social mobility, recognising that we could not only help people in local communities, but we could also help the industry become more diverse, be part of conversations regarding social impact, and be a true strategic partner to companies in insurance.

“What we’ve learnt is that our focus is here to stay, with social mobility even more important today than it was then. We’re very grateful to everyone who has been involved over the last decade and particularly at our recent Gala, as its these funds that allow us to continue creating community impact through our grants programme.”