A team of fundraisers from the Rank Group, owner of Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos, has now raised more than £2m for the Carers Trust charity.

The partnership between Carers Trust and Rank in 2014, since when group employees across the UK have been involved in a range of charity initiatives and fundraising activities within local communities.

As a final push towards the £2m fundraising milestone, the senior team from Mecca took part in a bushtucker trial challenge – which included a menu of creepy crawlies, from critter cocktails, to mealworms and buffalo worms on a bed of lettuce sprinkled with dry cricket flour.

John O’Reilly, CEO of The Rank Group, said: “Carers Trust is an organisation that is close to the heart of many of our employees and it gives me a great sense of pride to know that collectively we have been able to make such a strong contribution to the charity.

“Our teams have worked extremely hard throughout the course of the year to run charity fundraising activities to help us achieve this impressive milestone and without their dedication and the incredible support from the communities nationwide, such an achievement just wouldn’t have been possible.”

Giles Meyer, chief executive of the Carers Trust, added: “We are overwhelmed by the fundraising efforts of Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo.

“They have gone above and beyond once again and we’re delighted to continue our partnership. The reality is that three in five of us will become carers at some point in our lives, and with seven million carers in the UK already, staff’s fundraising plays a crucial part in providing the support carers desperately need.”

COMMENT: A great example of the power the gaming sector has to drive positive change. Five years into the partnership, Rank has helped more than 9,000 carers with essential equipment, much-needed breaks, training and the chance to meet other socially isolated carers. Good work, guys.