Crematoria and cemeteries group Westerleigh has handed over £3,000 from its metal recycling scheme to launch a new partnership with the Bristol City Football Club Robins Foundation.
The scheme uses money raised from the recycling of metals recovered during cremation, with the consent of the families involved, to support community groups. 
Westerleigh, which has its headquarters just outside Bristol, is the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries with 34 sites nationwide.
It has become the latest member of the Robin’s Foundation Shared Duty Club, which works with companies to help them implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee engagement strategies with the aim of making their communities better places.
It also arranges opportunities for volunteers in community projects and links community organisations together.
The donation from Westerleigh Group, which has a strong ethos of involvement in the communities in which it operates, has kick-started the new partnership.
Westerleigh commercial and operations support manager Matt 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 added: “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.”
Westerleigh joins an active squad of businesses in the Shared Duty Club, including South Bristol-based family owned residential care home Rosedale House, Angels Dance Academy, also based in South Bristol, independent coffee shop Coffee Box and the Great British Fudge Company.
