Foresters UK encourage a more caring approach

According to the Chancellor’s Autumn statement, the UK faces another 5 years of austerity and some financial commentators are predicting a decade of hard times.

With economic growth forecast trimmed for this year and reduced to 0.7% for 2012, the chances of a rapid recovery are small. £15bn a year spending cuts are already scheduled for after the next General Election and coupled with the Eurozone uncertainty, the future isn't great. Unemployment is rising although thankfully nowhere near the 20% and above experienced by some European countries.

“Everyone in the country is affected but amazingly the UK continues to be very generous with its charity giving and aid for those in need” comments Steve Dilworth, Membership Director at Foresters UK.

Foresters – the international financial services organisation - is involved with over 100 charities in the UK and Dilworth is impressed that social responsibility hasn’t completely disappeared: “Even in these troubled times our volunteers are still helping to raise millions of pounds for various charities. As an example, our Cash for Kids Toy Appeal will help 200,000 families this Christmas but there are similar stories in our work with both big national charities and smaller community groups”.

Dilworth also thinks that it is time for a new approach within society: “The days of just looking after yourself and being selfish are gone. There is a much greater need for society to come together and help one another.

“In many ways this needs to be a bottom up approach. This has been one of the problems with previous concepts such as the Big Society under the current Government or the Third Way under Labour as there was an automatic resistance to Government promoted schemes, worthy though they may be. We should take learnings from what is happening around the world, particularly with regard to democratisation and power moving from minority groups to broader masses. Within the UK our stable history means that this can be achieved through normal peaceful channels but it means that individuals need to be working harder together at a grass roots level to make sure that we reach out and help those in society to achieve at least basic levels of subsistence and self fulfilment”.

Dilworth calls this 'The Societal Spring' which has echoes of 'The Arab Spring' but of course without the need for violent regime overthrow. It is more about people being more cohesive, pooling resources at a local level, and making their priority a society with a strong structure, equality and a sense of altruism embedded in its culture.

“None of this will happen overnight. It may take a decade but it needs to happen” says Dilworth.

To find out more about Foresters, please visit www.foresters.co.uk

CONTACT:

Steve Dilworth, Membership Director, Foresters UK on: 0208 628 3435 or email: steve.dilworth@foresters.co.uk

About Foresters

Foresters is an international financial services organisation which has operated in the UK, US and Canada for over 135 years. We are committed to understanding your financial needs and to offering products and membership benefits, which will assist you with your financial security and peace of mind.

Our purpose is to enhance the well being of members and their families, and we measure our success not only by financial strength, but also by the positive impact we have on our members’ communities.

In the UK last year we supported more than 100 charities and raised over £3m for those charities and other community partners. Thousands of our members provided much needed volunteer hours to help communities throughout the country.

As an example, our work with Cash for Kids in their 2010 Christmas Toy Appeal helped 200,000 children to have a better Christmas and 600,000 toys and gifts were delivered to needy children.  Our support for UK children’s hospices has helped these organisations to provide a range of services to nearly 10,000 families.

Foresters have received an "A" (Excellent) rating for the eleventh consecutive year from A.M. Best Company*. This independent rating assesses Foresters ability to pay claims and is an important measure of the organization's strength and stability. A.M. Best also gave Foresters an issuer credit rating of "a " with a "stable" outlook.

*An "A" (Excellent) rating is assigned to companies that have a strong ability to meet their ongoing obligations to policyholders and have, on balance, excellent balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile when compared to the standards established by A.M. Best Company. In assigning Foresters rating, A.M. Best stated that Foresters rating outlook is "stable", which means it is unlikely to change in the near future, assuming Foresters financial strength is maintained and operations grow. A.M. Best assigns ratings from A to F, A being superior ratings and A and A- being excellent ratings.

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