A study carried out by Zurich Insurance has found that the people of Britain are keen volunteers and are set to be even more so in the coming year.
The study showed how around 35 percent of British adults are actively involved in voluntary projects. Overall these people spend over 52 million hours each week providing their services as unpaid volunteers. The Zurich Insurance survey also showed that, in the next 12 months the number of volunteers will rise to over 50 percent.
A Zurich Insurance commentator was delighted to see such strength of support for worthy causes across the country but added that this situation should be managed correctly by the organisers. Key factors to consider are effective training for volunteers and ensuring adequate insurance cover is in place, both for the volunteer and public liability.
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The Brazilian arm of Zurich Insurance has just announced the purchase of two insurance companies in the South American country.
The deal, which is worth around GBP120 million, gives Zurich Insurance and 87 percent stake in one company and a 100 percent stake in another. Zurich will make an initial payment of GBP89 million for the two businesses, plus a GBP15 million bancassurance agreement and the potential for a further GBP15 million paid out if performance figures are achieved.
Bancassurance will enable the newly acquired businesses to sell their Zurich Insurance products through local bank branches, a significant opportunity and well worth the amount paid.
The Prudential, the second largest life insurance provider in the UK, has seen the Peoples Bank of China take a one percent stake in the company, worth GBP130 million.
The move puts the Chinese bank into the top 25 of institutional investors in the Prudential, though there is no feeling that the holding is leading up to a takeover bid. The Chinese bank invests in many different businesses and a one percent holding is not uncommon. Speculation came because of the Prudential developing the Asian market though the management at the insurer welcomes the investment.
Such is the activity of the Prudential in Asia that their growth for the first half of the year was 14 percent, a remarkable step forwards.
