The Abacus Trust Group has raised and donated £6283.35 to Arlo’s Adventure, a charity dedicated to assisting Isle of Man families.
The money was collected through a voluntary staff salary deduction scheme, which is matched by the company, along with various fundraising activities, including bake sales, a team festive breakfast and lunch, and a raffle.
On behalf of the company, Managing Director Kevin Loundes presented a cheque to Damian Owen, who founded Arlo’s Adventure in memory of his son, who passed away from Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, a rare immune condition, when he was six weeks old after being born prematurely at 27 weeks because of a very complex pregnancy.
The charity helps Manx residents cover the cost of transport and accommodation for family members visiting a loved one receiving hospital treatment in the UK. There is additional support for leisure activities during this time. The group also raises awareness of the impact of losing a child or experiencing pregnancy loss, offering emotional and practical support to bereaved families.
Kevin said: “Abacus champions Isle of Man charities that aim to improve quality of life. In 2025, Arlo’s Adventure spent more than £15,000 on transport, accommodation, food, and activities for Manx families. This was in addition to neonatal support packs distributed at Noble’s Hospital and recliner chairs at the neonatal unit. We hope our contribution this year will help them continue their important work.”
Damian said: “We are extremely grateful to Abacus for raising much needed funds and awareness for our charity. Such a significant amount of money will go a long way in supporting local families who find themselves away in hospital, in our neonatal unit and those who have tragically lost a child. We thank the staff at Abacus for their support over the past year.”
Arlo’s Adventure has exciting plans and events planned throughout the year such as their family fun day coming over the summer, a sea dip for neonatal awareness month in September and petal release during Baby Loss Awareness Week in October.
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