EIC Update
EIC smashes £120,000 anniversary target
In 2025, the Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) celebrated 120 years of supporting the industry.
A
message from the charity: To commemorate this incredible milestone, we set ourselves a bold challenge: to raise an additional £120,000. We are thrilled to announce that, in early November, we smashed our target, reaching an impressive £130,000 all thanks to our amazing community!
To mark 120 years, we launched our 120 Challenge Calendar, inviting our community to take part from home and show their support in creative ways. The very first challenge was to “bail out” our trustees and the EIC management team, who spent the day locked up in a makeshift jail in the middle of nowhere. And we do not mean this figuratively — our trustees are still recovering from how cold it was in that cell! Thankfully, our community banded together to bail them out and kick-start our 120th bang.
year celebrations with a
Our managing director Jess Vailima led the charge throughout 2025, taking on a series of incredible fundraising challenges. Her mission was to rally 1,000 supporters from across the UK to each raise £120 for the Electrical Industries Charity — all while experiencing new thrills and overcoming personal challenges along the way. In honour of the four nations we serve, Jess completed one challenge in each country. Jess began her journey in Wales, by ziplining over Penrhyn Quarry in March. This combined with the efforts of our Jail or Bail challenge raised an impressive £15,000 towards our total. Next, she and a team of supporters took on the Glasgow Kiltwalkin Scotland, boosting the total to £21,000 in the process. In July, Jess and a growing team
“It is important that we look to the future and keep the momentum going.”
of supporters walked over 20 miles in the Thames River Path Challenge (England), bringing the tally to £50,000. The final challenge took place in Northern Ireland in October, and saw Jess and her supporters abseil from Belfast’s iconic Europa Hotel. The total was now at £109,000, with just £11,000 left to reach our goal!
Throughout the year, our community truly
ewnews.co.uk
“The very first challenge was to “bail out” our trustees and the EIC management team, who spent the day locked up in a makeshiſt jail in the middle of nowhere.”
went above and beyond. Supporters took on bungee jumps, cycled 55 miles, skydived from 14,000ft, completed triathlons, ran marathons, baked cakes, dressed up and so much more — all in the name of raising vital funds for our charity. We genuinely could not have achieved (and surpassed) our £120,000 goal without our steadfast, passionate community. Thank you for making our 120th
year one to remember!
Jess commented: “It has been an absolute pleasure completing the #JoinJess challenged this year. Seeing the community rally together with the shared goal of raising vital funds for our charity was truly something special,” she said. “Now that we have achieved this milestone, it is important that we look to the future and keep the momentum going so that the EIC can continue to offer vital support to our community for another 120 years and beyond.” As we close the chapter on our 120th anniversary celebrations, we are filled with gratitude and pride for everything our community has achieved together. Your
dedication and generosity remind us why the Electrical Industries Charity exists: to support, uplift and strengthen our industry. Here’s to building on this success and continuing to make a lasting difference, for the next 120 years and beyond.
EIC launches 2026 Health Calendar and Wellbeing Talks
In other EIC news, the charity has officially launched its 2026 Health Calendar and Wellbeing Talk series: a year-long programme of resources, hints and tips and monthly virtual sessions designed to support the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of people across the electrical and energy industries. Delivered by EIC’s experienced welfare team alongside trusted partners, the series aims to encourage open conversations, reduce stigma and provide practical tools for everyday life.
Each one-hour Wellbeing Talk will take place on the first Wednesday of every month from 12pm to 1pm and will be delivered virtually, allowing attendees to join from anywhere. All sessions will also be available on demand via EIC’s YouTube channel once recorded. Each month will explore a different topic relevant to the wellbeing challenges faced by the industry. The full 2026 Wellbeing Talk schedule can be found at
https://electricalcharity.org/ wellbeing-talks-2026/
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