One of Zurich's community programmes helping Alzheimer's sufferers, saw this man go hot air ballooningZURICH has been given a Big Tick for its community programmes.

The Big Tick is given to companies which show they are having a positive effect on society through community programmes.

It is organised by Business in the Community and supported by the Government and many large multinationals.

This week Zurich was one of 101 companies to be awarded the accolade, and special mention was given to its work with dementia patients.

In the last eight years the financial services firm has spent about £2 million on 22 projects to help people with dementia.

These have included funding the Alzheimer's Society to allow it to improve the services it offers, and has seen work take place with charities all over Britain from the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall to the Dementia Services Development Centre in Stirling which trained half of all doctors' surgeries in Scotland.

Part of Zurich's funding saw £20,000 given to the ExtraCare charitable trust in the Lake District at Keswick to provide outdoors activities for the elderly, which include rock climbing, canoeing and hot air ballooning.

Zurich's community affairs director Chris Staples said: "We are absolutely delighted to receive this recognition. This programme is about much more than funding. While we support our partners' core costs, we also share our business skills too."

Mary Marshall, director of the Stirling centre, said: "Zurich's staff and grants have helped some of the most ignored, neglected and silently suffering citizens. I hope you feel very proud."