Aston Manor Cider, the UK’s largest independent cider maker, has announced that Grocery Aid will be the company’s nominated charity.

As part of its involvement with Grocery Aid, Aston Manor Cider has already provided a high level of support to the charity at regional and national events.

Grocery Aid also benefits from Aston Manor’s partnerships with other organisations. Through its relationship with Tough Mudder, Aston Manor provided Grocery Aid with places at the upcoming events in 2016, giving the charity another platform to raise funds. At the recent Summer Ball the company supplied tickets to a Rugby League Four Nations game, thanks to its partnership with England Rugby League.

Money donated from any fund-raising incentives the cider maker organises, will go directly to the charity.

The decision came after the business saw first-hand what the charity has done to support its own employees with professional advice and guidance.

With nine regional branches across the UK, Grocery Aid provides support to any workers in the grocery channel from factory floor to shop floor. The charity offers a broad range of services to help those in need from financial assistance to counselling and career advice.

Glen Friel, sales and marketing director at Aston Manor Cider, said: “It made sense to us to make Grocery Aid our nominated charity. The service it provides, which extends to our own colleagues, is excellent. We’re proud to be able to help the charity as it does so much for very many who work in our industry.

“We’ve been able to be creative with how we can help the charity through our partnerships with organisations like the Rugby Football League and Tough Mudder. We also have the opportunity to provide some fun activities at their events.

“For example, we took the Kingstone Press bespoke ‘juice bike’, which presses and juices apples as the rider pedals, to the recent Summer Ball – it was a huge hit.”

Aston Manor Cider employs over 280 employees across its three sites in the West Midlands; Aston, Witton, Stourport-on-Severn and at its production and packaging facility in Tiverton, Devon.