TL DALLAS has pledged to continue raising funds for good causes after meeting its £100,000 centenary charity target ahead of schedule.

The Bradford-headquartered business, one of the UK’s leading independent insurance broking and risk management companies, is celebrating 100 years in business in 2019.

To mark the milestone, the fourth-generation family and employee owned business, based in Low Moor, pledged to raise £100,000 before the end of the year for a quartet of major charities and a host of local causes.

It has now met the target, boosted by the company’s recently held centenary charity ball.

The ball, held at Rudding Park Hotel & Spa in Harrogate, raised in excess of £34,000 on the night for its centenary charity partners: British Heart Foundation, Candlelighters, Mind in Bradford and Alzheimer Scotland.

Additional support is also being provided for local Bradford causes including Sedbergh Youth & Community Centre.

Polly Staveley, Managing Director at TL Dallas, said: “Reaching our £100,000 centenary fundraising target ahead of schedule is a fantastic achievement and one which we are extremely proud of.

“Our staff have really got behind the initiative and I would like to place on record my thanks to them, as well as to our business partners, customers and friends for their efforts in raising valuable funds.”

The charity initiative, which is backed by TL Dallas’ 120 employees across the UK, has seen the team take on a series of challenges including skydiving and abseiling.

Mrs Staveley said that despite hitting the target, TL Dallas would continue its fundraising efforts.

“It’s been brilliant to celebrate 100 years by helping others, which is why we are so passionate about our charity campaign,” she added.

“The initiative has seen TL Dallas staff voting for charities that they have personally been touched by so we’re really proud to be supporting these fantastic organisations and we look forward to continuing to do so.”

In 1919, Scotsman Thomas Lessels Dallas OBE established the TL Dallas business in Bradford, following experience with Christian Salvesen and Scottish Life Assurance Company.

With more than 300 textile mills operating in Bradford at the time, many of the company’s early clients were from the wool textile trade. From this base, the business grew steadily by acquiring and retaining top quality commercial clients from all sectors of industry and commerce. By 1980, the business had been acquired by Bowring and renamed Bowring TL Dallas. Bowring was subsequently bought by US brokerage Marsh & McLennan. In 1989, John Butterworth and Colin Dallas led a management buyout from Marsh & McLennan and renamed the company TL Dallas & Co.

In the 1990s, TL Dallas successfully launched new service lines and offices, including in London and across Scotland.

TL Dallas launched an office in Northern Ireland in 2016, specialising in providing advice and services for churches, charities, community organisations and businesses, as well as household, motor and other personal insurances.