As many of you know, LGIM’s Asset Allocation team is a close-knit bunch.

We cherish our diverse culture and shared values as they are crucial for efficient decision making, and these qualities have been cornerstones of our success. Having close working relationships is also important because we spend loads of time together on the job, either virtually or increasingly in the office again.

We therefore often refer to one another as the ‘AA family’. It’s a family like many others: we often disagree, we discuss and, dare I say, we bicker. But we also celebrate and party together, and down the line we support each other in tough times – that’s what’s family is for.

Part of our teamwork is an annual charity fund raiser. This year we will raise money in memory of our friend and colleague Andy Ridgers. Andy sadly passed away September of this year. His death came as a shock to his family, friends and to his AA family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who loved Andy.  

Andy’s preferred charity was Mind. This great charity provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. So our choice of charity was easy this year.

For the fundraising video, which I highly recommend, the AA team decided to challenge the UN Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh.

Lewis has successfully completed a 123km swim across the Red Sea to raise awareness of the oceans and COP27. LGIM partners with Lewis to tackle the climate challenge, as we seek to help companies limit their carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 under our Climate Impact Pledge. We believe inaction is not an option, and are proud to support Lewis’s efforts to raise awareness and push for positive change.

The AA team hopes to beat Lewis in a swim-off. By Christmas the team will swim more than 123km, so more than Lewis has done!

Some of our swimming miles were done in ice-cold water, and the video shows how AA team members braved the 7°C water to get some laps done. Ice water swimming is supposed to be good for you, including your mental health, but all I remember is that it was very, very cold!

We hope you enjoy our short video and hope you’ll donate to a great cause.