Hamilton Insurance Group employees rolled up their sleeves to tackle two projects with the America’s Cup Endeavour Programme in the East End last month.

Twelve team members helped beautify the building used for the experiential education programme and participated in the clean-up efforts at the East End beach where students hone their sailing skills.

“There is something very satisfying about a day of a hard manual labour, when at the end of that day you can see a very tangible result of your efforts, and knowing those efforts really helped out the Endeavour Programme,” Adam Williams, vice-president of finance at Hamilton Re, said. “Plus, I got to wield a machete, something I rarely get to do as an accountant.”

The company — a corporate sponsor of the programme — has also funded two Toyota HiAce vans to transport students from schools across Bermuda to the programme’s two forts in the east and west ends.

Mr Williams added: “I was impressed that the America’s Cup Endeavour Programme is much more than a sailing programme. It also teaches children about important topics such as environmental issues facing our oceans, being sun smart and nutrition.”

Hamilton Re senior underwriting assistant Nelia Cabral added: “Working together with my colleagues and the America’s Cup Endeavour Programme team to accomplish projects that will benefit hundreds of children was rewarding.”

And Sam Thomsen, head of software development and IT at Hamilton Re, said: “What a great day! So satisfying to get outside, work with our hands and add sweat equity to such a worthy cause.”

The team members helped with paint touch ups and a general cleaning of the East Fort facility on December 5, which coincided with the United Nations International Volunteer Day.

They also helped with the landscaping and beach cleanup that transformed the Davenport Beach area used to launch the Hobie Wave catamarans, RS Fevas, and O’Pen BICs.

A second group of Hamilton employees will head to West Endeavour Fort in Dockyard in February for another afternoon of improving the facilities used by Endeavour’s student sailors.

In addition to supporting the America’s Cup Endeavour Programme, the company has funded nine Bermuda-registered charities through its Community Giving Committee in 2016.

The Bermuda National Athletics Association, Bermuda Paralympic Association, Bermuda School of Music, The Family Centre, Masterworks [associated educational programme], National Dance Foundation of Bermuda [through the Bermuda Community Foundation], Scars, WindReach Recreational Village and YouthNet all benefited from the donations.

According to a company statement, each of the organisations met the criteria outlined by the committee when it was established in December 2014.

Vanessa Hardy Pickering, Hamilton Re CFO and committee chair, said: “We’re pleased that after two years of operations, our efforts to support effective Bermuda-registered charities has contributed to the wellbeing of our community. The organisations we fund are providing meaningful programmes and services in the fields of sports, the arts, social services and academics, and we are pleased to have enabled the work they do for Bermuda.”

Mrs Hardy Pickering added that members will take a break from considering funding applications during the first quarter of 2017 to undertake strategic planning.

“After two years of reviewing requests from Bermuda’s charitable sector, we feel it is time to pause and review our objectives in order to identify where and how we can have the most impact.”

Hamilton’s Chief Communications Officer Wendy Davis Johnson has also been announced as the new chair of the Community Giving Committee as of January 1, with Mrs Hardy Pickering having ended her term.

Ebony Brokington, assistant underwriter in property at Hamilton Re, has also stepped down after completing her term.