Charities to benefit from new insurance website

The not-for-profit website will search leading insurance companies and deliver the best prices for customers seeking car insurance.

The website will be the first price comparison site in the UK to donate its profits to charity. In the current financial climate, many charities have felt the pinch as people have to make tough decisions on where to cut back.

People's Choice will offer the public the chance to save money on their insurance while money is donated to a charity on their behalf, costing the consumer nothing.

In addition to the donation per policy, all other surplus profit also goes to charity.

Neil Utley, Hastings Direct Chairman, said: "The new website is the perfect solution for those who want to search for cheaper insurance and do something worthwhile at the same time. By simply choosing to purchase their insurance on People's Choice rather than a competitor comparison site, customers will be helping to raise money for charity without having to pay a penny more."

He added: "We are in talks with many Charities and selecting them carefully. We are looking for charitable organisations that can be proactive and inventive in their promotion of this new way to raise money at a time when donors are feeling the squeeze."

Charities already on board include The Pink Ribbon Foundation, Combat Stress, Global Cool, SASBAH and FACT

The launch of People's Choice follows in the steps of the great

success of Hastings Direct's Insure Pink brand, which raises money for the Pink Ribbon Foundation via sales of motor, travel and home insurance.

Insure Pink was the winner of 'Best Insurance Product 2008' at the Charity Times Awards and 'Broker Innovation 2008' at the Insurance Times Awards.

Fiona Macrae, Charity Director at Hastings Direct, said: "Charities have really embraced this. If you think of where we can go with this idea, it is tremendously exciting; this is a way for people to shop online and raise money for their favourite charities. In the past charities have been wary of being too closely linked to a particular insurance company - price comparison is the perfect vehicle for this, and as we are not-for-profit, there is no conflict and the charities have opened their doors to us.

"We raise on average 1,000 per week through our Insure Pink brand for the Pink Ribbon Foundation and think that we can multiply this figure with People's Choice."

People visiting the site and purchasing their insurance policies will be invited to choose which charity they would like to donate to via a drop down box on screen.

The technology platform is being supplied by Insurance Wide. CEO James Harrison, said: "We have a comparison service that matches the best out there, we deliver great choice, great quotes and a great service for customers. We have been selected to provide our technology to many well known brands including AOL, eBay, Tiscali and Yahoo! but this is something different and we are very excited to be part of the team."

For further information visit the website at: www.peopleschoice.co.uk