A WINE and spirits merchant has announced its charity partner for the next three years.

Berry Bros & Rudd, which has offices in Hamilton Close, has chosen Sebastian’s Action Trust to be the beneficiary of the company’s fundraising for the next three years.

The trust was chosen by the company’s employees and it will receive any charitable funds raised by the company until 2020.

Company fundraising since April this year has already raised £12,500, following events like skydiving, wine tasting and a 50-mile charity bike ride, which raised £3,000.

Dan Jago, chief executive officer of Berry Bros. & Rudd, said: “Our partnership with Sebastian’s is already off to a fantastic start. We look forward to helping the team come up with many more innovative ideas to help raise much needed funds for this brilliant local charity.”

This comes after the last three-year partnership with Sands, the still birth and neonatal charity, which received at total of £119,000 from the wine merchants.

Hannah Lambart, fundraising manager at Sebastian’s Act Trust added: ‘‘We are so grateful for the support from the team at Berry Bros. & Rudd. They have already raised a fantastic amount for the trust and the company has some wonderful ideas up their sleeve so I am looking forward to working with them.

“Their support means a great deal to us. As a charity with no government funding, their fundraising endeavours will help us to continue to support the many families of seriously-ill children going through the most challenging of times.”

Baghshot-based Sebastian’s Act Trust was founded by Sebastian Gates who died aged nine from a rare form of childhood cancer in 2003.

The trust supports families of seriously-ill children from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond. It puts emphasis on allowing families of seriously-ill children to have quality time together. The charity’s purpose-built holiday home The Bluebells’ provides respite to children and their families.