b'People, culture and values continuedMercia SpiritEmpowering people within the business to act for the causes that matter to them, combinedwith the can-do attitude that exists amongst colleagues, ensured that the Mercia Spirit programme exceeded all expectations in itsCourtney Yeomansecond year. Facilities Co-ordinator & Executive Assistant and project lead for Mercia Spirit.The total amount raised in the year for Cancer Research UK was 20,597. This was achieved through the collective efforts of every colleague who provided their own time, ingenuity and occasionally sweat and tears to contribute to a charity that was chosen because of the impact that cancer has had on colleagues or their immediate families. Money raised was as a result of half- c.21kmarathons run, mountains climbed, hikes, quizzes, horse races, bake sales and the expert craftsmanship of one colleague whoRaised by Mercia Spiritmade a range of carved and handcrafted wooden items. The Skills Builder Partnership, designed to help school students build key skills and be better prepared to enter the workplace, was another important initiative that colleagues were keen to support during the year. We welcomed numerous groups of young people to Mercia throughout the course of the year, spending time to orientate them in the workplace and share business insights and best practice, as part of the process to help them transition to a full-time career. We also welcomed students from various schools in our local communities as part of their work experience programmes; this quickly became a knowledge exchange opportunity, as the Mercia team benefitted from digital skills shared by the students.Ella Cuthbert Assistant Accountant,Finance. Pete Sorsby Investment Director,NPIFDebt Finance. 42 Mercia Asset Management PLCAnnual Report and Accounts 2020'