Money Matey

Last week Coutts & Co the private bank who specialise in wealth management and investment management have announced who they are sponsoring this year as their main charity. The new Coutts & Co charity of the year will be Canine Partners and as part of their support they will be organising a series of sponsored events through May and June, with the hopes to raise more than £10,000.

Canine Partners is a charity that started in 1990, which helps to train dogs to help anyone with a mobility impairment so that can get back a sense of independence. The dogs are tailored to a specific persons need and they can be trained to do anything from open doors, press switches, pick things up and get help for their handlers in an emergency.

Canine Partners work out of a Hampshire based premises and this sponsorship from Coutts & Co will help them a great deal. If you want to help out yourself or find out more you can visit their website for details about their charity, you can also see how you can help them here.

Coutts have said on their website they are looking forward to helping and supporting the charity and “despite the ongoing difficult financial conditions, we have been very heartened by the generosity and colleagues and clients across our region and hope we can reach our target to raise enough to train one of these remarkable dogs.”

After the bad rap that a lot of banks have been getting through during the financial crisis we have been in it is an important part of business to have a good public image and if helping themselves to a better public image also helps out with some charity then that is a win win situation.

Political crisis in the Ivory Coast is getting quite severe at the moment with the disputed elections in November 2010 throwing the country into chaos with thousands of people fleeing into neighbouring Liberia due to the threat of violence from troops and forces on both sides of the government.

Forces loyal to President-elect Alassane Outtara are expected to launch an offensive on forces loyal to besieged President Laurent Gbagbo who has refused to step down. The UN have also threatened air attacks on Gbagbo after 11 peacekeepers have been shot in recent days.

The sheer amount of people fleeing has put a huge strain on the poor villages in neighbouring countries so charity organisations have been set up with camps and transit centres in Nimbia county and along the Ivory Coast – Liberia border.

Oxfam are helping out with the Ivory Coast crisis and would be very thankful for any charity donations people are able to give. I know this is not what you normally expect on Money Matey but I like to think my readers have a good grip on finance and know just how tight situations like this can be.

You can read more on the Ivory Coast situation on the BBC here