KINGSTON upon Thames has many local charities for residents to get involved in and businesses to support but one firm is going above and beyond to help the borough thrive.

Holland Hahn & Wills, a financial planning business in Hampton Wick - just over the bridge from the town - has long supported volunteer groups and social enterprise in Kingston.

And 2021 was no different, with the firm making a generous donation to Queen's Promenade Friends instead of sending out any Christmas cards.

Holland Hahn & Wills Head of Marketing Katie Lovatt said: "Queen's Promenade Friends are a local charity transforming Kingston's Victorian promenade which had fallen into disrepair back into a beautiful riverside walk.

"The volunteers have recently created, planted and maintained River View Garden with trails for children and flowers for pollinators, they have planted over 100 metres of mixed hedging as well as over 2000 bulbs for the springtime.

"They have welcomed many visitors to the Pocket Park, many intrigued by their local oasis, and now able to enjoy the renovated Victorian park seats.

"Their good work can be admired on their active and beautiful Instagram page, (@queenspromenade) and more information, including details on how to volunteer can be found here: queenspromenadefriends.org

"It is wonderful to see the difference they have already made to the local Kingston area, and the volunteers clearly enjoy putting the pride back into Kingston's special Victorian promenade. We look forward to see all the budding blooms in the springtime!"

She added: "Holland Hahn & Wills are proud to support this charity, and if there are any charities or projects you would like us to support, please do email [email protected] as we try to contribute to local initiatives throughout the year."

Holland Hahn & Wills also made a Christmas donation to Music of Life, a national charity that uses high-quality music-making to advance education and improve the health and well-being of disabled children and young people aged up to 25.

Katie said: "We hope that our donation helps to bring smiles to the faces of those to whom the charity offers support, music and joy."

Charities in Kingston are invited to use the Holland Hahn & Wills's meeting room in their 400-year-old building by the Thames which recently underwent a sympathetic renovation.

"Following the completion of the office works, we have been hosting local charities who lack meeting space, such as Kingston Charitable Foundation and Young Enterprise," said Katie.

"We hope to continue to offer this help as much as possible."

Katie herself has also been doing her bit to make financial planning more accessible to young people, particularly girls.

Last year she spoke at several local schools including Godolphin & Latymer and Wimbledon High School about financial planning, investing, careers in finance and work experience.

The aim of the event was to empower, demystify and educate the girls about money and there was a particular focus on women in finance.

Several high-profile female entrepreneurs and financial advisors joined the panel at the Wimbledon event, including Heather McGregor (aka Mrs Moneypenny).

Katie said: "It was an exciting, and energetic debate and the feedback from both sessions has been fantastic. We hope to continue to support schools via this medium and Young Enterprise."

Katie is now embarking on the new mentoring program for Kingston Business School, another rewarding local initiative.

Finally, Holland Hahn & Wills is supporting the 2021 Kingston Business Awards which aims to celebrate and recognise outstanding businesses in the borough.

As well as being a sponsor, the firm is a judge for the 'Excellence in Customer Service' category, having been a winner at the awards on multiple occasions.

The winners of the awards will be announced at a celebration event in March 2022.

Happy New Year! A message from Holland Hahn & Wills

Happy New Year! There are many businesses who have blackboards outside saying "This year HAS to be better than last year" and many friends and colleagues have been talking about their new year's resolutions, or their "words for the year".

The New Year is a good time for people to review their finances - if you know anyone who has vowed to get their finances in order, please do pass on our details. We are more than happy to provide a second opinion, or help people on the path to financial clarity. Our friendly team is at the end of the phone on 020 8943 9229 or just a click away at [email protected].

From a Holland Hahn & Wills perspective, we set ourselves annual goals to grow the business, so these feel like resolutions in themselves. 2022 will hopefully be the year when we can host events in the new office...fingers crossed this will be in the springtime.

This year, the three words I think have importance, both personally and professionally, are Positivity, Achievement and Celebration.

The last 18 months have shown that we all need positivity and hope - and this can be very motivating. Building a robust financial plan can have a very positive impact on someone's future, providing direction and clarity. Positivity can influence different aspects of our daily life and a few words of encouragement can boost our mental health.

A sense of achievement encourages us to work towards our goals - professional qualifications, completion of projects, growth of the business to name but a few. Such successes, no matter how small, should be celebrated. It can be easy to get weighed down by issues, challenges or frustrations, which make people lose sight of their accomplishments.

So we hope to be able to invite you at a celebration in 2022, and will be channelling all our positivity to ensure we can achieve this ambition!

Holland Hahn & Wills are sponsors of Kingston Nub News. Without support from local community-minded businesses like them we would not be able to provide the dedicated local news we do every week. Find out more on their website at [L]https://www.hhw-uk.com/[L+]www.hhw-uk.com/