SiGMA Foundation and HSF lead the charge for a better tomorrow

A conversation with Paul Jackson isn’t just about business or charity – it is a thought-provoking exploration of someone whose mission is to meaningfully impact people and the planet. Seamlessly blending his professional expertise in health plans with a passion for supporting charitable causes, Paul offers the iGaming sector valuable insight into corporate social responsibility and leadership, and discusses the impact of a recent collaboration with the SiGMA Foundation.

As the Group Chief Executive of the Hospital Saturday Fund (HSF) and Chair of the Manta Trust (the largest manta ray charity in the world), Paul’s approach surpasses the traditional boundaries of corporate leadership. His work spans a range of philanthropic initiatives. From providing life-changing mobility aids to supporting environmental conservation efforts, this exclusive interview with SiGMA News explores Paul Jackson’s mission-driven approach, key charitable efforts, a valuable partnership with the SiGMA Foundation, and vision for a more compassionate, sustainable world.

From finance to philanthropy

The first question delved into Paul’s journey into leadership and what drew him to HSF. He says, “In 1994, I entered the charity sector by sheer chance working for an educational charity. Soon, I received a sponsorship offer to study for an MSc in Charity Finance and Governance. I really enjoyed it. I met many interesting people and made a lot of contacts.”

Shortly after, Paul saw an advert for a Finance Director at HSF. The rest is history. After eleven years in that role, Paul became Chief Executive. He explains, “I thought the HSF had something about it that could improve things in the charity set and the grants. However, there was also an excellent opportunity for the charity to have an influence.”

He explains HSF was a mutual insurance company when he joined with a small associated charity bolted onto the side. Gordon Brown (the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer in the early 2000s) removed mutual status from many organisations, HSF being one of them, thus forcing them to consider a different model. So, Paul felt the best way forward would be for HSF to become a charitable group where the Hospital Saturday Fund (the charity) become the sole owner of the Health Insurance Company, which gifts its annual profits to the Hospital Saturday Fund. In turn, the Hospital Saturday uses these profits to make donations to medical charities. This returned HSF to its charitable roots of its foundation in 1873!

“So, we gave the insurance company to the charity and formed a sizeable charitable group. These days, we have 260,000 charities registered with the England and Wales Charity Commission, and we’re in the top 400 internally.”

A life-changing visit to Dreams of Horses Farm

The primary reason for our chat is a follow-up to a SiGMA News article from 2024. Paul and his team travelled to present a �13,500 grant to the Dreams of Horses project in Gozo. The visit left a lasting impression on everyone.

Ana Maria Vega, Executive Assistant to the Group Chief Executive and Joanna Moore, Boards Administrator and Individual Grants Officer for HSF gave SiGMA News their thoughts.

The therapeutic power of horses

Ana said, “When Joanna and I visited The Dreams of Horses Farm, the environment was calming and uplifting with the gentle animals and the compassion surrounding us. It was heartening to see the rescue animals, knowing they had been given a second chance and were helping people with disabilities through animal therapy.”

Joanna recollected when she owned horses as a child and young adult and expressed her gratitude for having had those special relationships with her animals. People with disabilities used one of the horses, as her temperament was gentle and unflappable.

Joanna added, “Just standing and stroking a horse can bring such peace and have a calming effect on your mental health.”

Ana and Joanna noted how well-behaved and calm the horses at The Dream of Horses Farm seemed. Ana said, “You would never have realised the horrors they have been through. That is a testament to Victor.”   

Ana has many happy memories of her family holidays in Spain at her grandparent’s farm, where they kept various animals, including horses. She saw first-hand the hard work and dedication involved in looking after the animals and experienced how rewarding this could be.

Ana explained their initial feelings when they entered the Dreams of Horses Farm in Gozo for the first time.

“Walking around the farm, we felt such peace��like a retreat from the busy world. The bond between the animals and Victor and the animals was a sight to behold. All the animals mix happily together. Joanna and I came away lighter, and it felt good for our souls!“

Ana and Joanna can’t wait to return to Gozo and visit Victor, who they describe as a selfless and compassionate man. Ana added,

“We also learned that fresh goat’s milk tastes nothing like pasteurised goat’s milk, but it was delicious. Victor taught us that we should not treat animals as children, but with tremendous respect.”

Transforming lives in Malta and Gozo

The farm’s mission is to ‘inspire individuals to advance to their highest potential by helping horses that help humans.’ Paul was amazed by his visit. “Victor’s intuition with the horses is mesmerising, and his team-building exercises are a valuable addition to his work at the farm.”

Ana added, “Joanna and I have visited many charities during our time at HSF, but the time we spent at the Dreams of Horses Farm will always stand out as a top memory. It’s an oasis and a very special, magical place that is hard to describe, and we would encourage others to give their support. I think anyone who visits the farm will leave feeling humble.”

Victor Muscat, Horse Master and owner of Dreams of Horses Farm, told SiGMA News that the money donated by the Hospital Saturday Fund will make a massive difference. He said,

“Currently, we are in the construction phase and are using the money to help fund an indoor area. Sometimes, because of the extremes in temperatures in Gozo, people stay away when it is boiling, so the farm will benefit by creating an indoor area that will also help us become an all-year-round venue.”

From an outdoor perspective, Victor plans to build more fences so more people can work one-on-one with the animals. He said this wouldn’t be possible without contributions from donors such as HSF.

Victor glowed when asked about the difference the SiGMA Foundation makes. He said,

“The SiGMA Foundation is making things possible with their generous support. Running places like Dreams of Horses Farm and dealing with its associated costs wouldn’t be possible without people like the SiGMA Foundation and HSF. They help make dreams come true, and their support is a win-win for visitors and the animals.”

Jessie Busuttil, Operations Manager for SiGMA Foundation, told SiGMA News, “The project is to expand the farm’s facilities by building areas for classrooms, lodging for those enrolling in programmes, a rest room, lodging also for volunteers and eventually also a kitchenette and proper waiting area. The scheme is purely to support the Equine Assisted Therapy programmes, and we are extremely pleased to support this.”

The SiGMA Foundation’s role in making a difference

Paul enjoyed collaborating with the SiGMA Foundation and is proud that HSF can support charities in Malta. He says the Dreams of Horses Farm is a marvellous project and speaks highly of Victor. He smiles and reminisces about meeting Victor and how amazing his goat cheese is. Ainsley Harriott, a UK chef, filmed part of his ‘Ainsley’s Taste of Malta’ there in 2024.

“Victor is really engaging. A lot of Maltese people know about Victor’s work as well. Charities like the Dreams of Horses Farm restore faith in humankind and the enormous effect that kindness and understanding have, and the impact an animal can have on a person��s mental health. For our organisation, it gives us enormous pleasure to see that our funding is helping to make a difference to a variety of people with a variety of conditions.

��I’d love to work further with the SiGMA Foundation, especially if they can develop more medically related projects. And it doesn’t have to be a medical charity as such. It just has to be around medical issues.”

The SiGMA Foundation support the Saint Martin de Porres Hospital in Iquitos, Peru, which is expanding under the leadership of Fr Raymond Portelli, a priest and practising doctor. Set to open in April 2025, the new annex will add patient rooms, a conference room, storage, and green space, enhancing care for those battling AIDS, tuberculosis, cancer, and renal failure. This project will increase capacity and improve the quality of life for countless individuals in the Peruvian Amazon.

The SiGMA Foundation’s G.L.O.W (Give Little One’s Wings) Campaign has reached a milestone in supporting Colombian children with Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate conditions. As part of this mission, 25 participants completed the Lost City Trail in Northern Colombia, raising funds for 60 life-changing surgeries in 2024. In collaboration with Premium Care Kids, these efforts give children confidence, hope, and a brighter future.

Paul is keen to emphasise that the iGaming industry could learn from the philanthropic efforts of the SiGMA Foundation. He notes that the gaming sector is investing in new technology and says that the expertise in technology and the funding of innovation could improve things. He gives an example of a simulator but admits that this is super expensive to develop. Paul says,

“There’s a charity we help. Angel Eyes. They have a simulator that shows parents what their partially sighted children can see because sometimes, with eye conditions, people see in 2D. So, can you imagine seeing 2D? Unfortunately, children with this type of eye condition tend to bump into everything?”

Paul believes the iGaming sector can learn from HSF and set up an initiative to give one day a year from all employees to a charity or an environmental project.

When asked about becoming further rooted in Malta, Paul was clear. “When we came to Malta, we knew the gaming industry was huge. Employee well-being is essential, and we offer that type of policy to people in the gaming industry. So, we aim to meet the needs of Malta and its people in all sectors.”

How the iGaming industry can give back

The subject moves on to Paul’s leadership and how HSF has evolved since he’s been at the helm. He explains that the turnover of UK and Irish trading companies this year is projected to be around �40 million, a profound figure in terms of being able to give to charity. In his early days, he explained that HSF gave around ?150,000 (�181,125.00) to charity, whereas this year, it will be more like �2.75 million. That also includes Malta, where HSF received its insurance licence from the Maltese Financial Services Authority in February 2021, giving its first grants totalling �30,000 in September 2022. This has risen to �130,000 in the last year.

The number of policyholders has risen dramatically, too. Paul is enthusiastic when he explains, “The whole point of HSF is to provide fantastic health insurance policies for policyholders, whether in Malta, Ireland or the UK. But simultaneously, because we’re raising that money locally, we’re giving it back to the local community we support in those locations.”

Paul proudly adds that HSF recruited 128 new organisations in the UK last year, and of those, 48 are charities.

Expanding HSF’s impact across Malta and beyond

We move on to what stands out to Paul during his time with HSF. It is a tricky question to ask someone who has witnessed so many positive stories of the remarkable difference HSF makes. Paul admits this is a tough question but says HSF deals with anything from palliative care to medical research.

HSF also proudly supports medical electives, so when future doctors train at university, HSF provides grants for those trainee doctors to go on electives, sometimes to a developing country. HSF is now the largest funder of medical electives in the UK and Ireland. Paul adds they’ve supported every medical school in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and many in England.

Paul declares, “I spoke at the University of Dundee about it recently. My old grant-making chair was a professor at the University of London. He used to say that medical elective grants were our USP. So, I’m very proud we now work with an organisation called Fair Trade Elective, which aims to make the electives better for both the student and the organisation receiving the trainee doctors.”

He continues, “The training doctor is safe when they go, but also, the doctorates, possibly in Zambia or a medical facility in Panama, benefit from the student doctor going there. But they can also offer the training doctor a proper elective for this training. Therefore, I having been helping this new Scottish Charity with governance advice.”

He continued by saying that the best medical research he knew was at the University of Bath. A professor developed a luminous bandage for children who suffered burns. Paul explains that the bandages need changing frequently, which is very painful. So, having a luminous band identifies whether the bandage needs to be changed. He says he is proud to put the first funds into this and get it off the ground. A German pharmacy company brought the idea to market.

Paul also takes pride in HSF’s support of eye gene therapy research at Oxford University, Berkshire Children’s Hospice and the SCUBA Trust, to mention but a few. We have supported a number of charities in Malta, such as Friends of the Sick and Elderly in Gozo, the Richmond Foundation and Smiling with Jerome.

Leading with purpose and changing lives

Our conversation leads to the subject of corporate social responsibility (CSR). How can leaders in iGaming ensure that CSR is actionable and not just a buzzword or a tick-box exercise?

“HSF is CSR gone mad because a charity wholly owns us. And so, we raise our money locally, we give it back. But from SiGMA’s point of view, it’s really interesting as you’ve got a foundation. There is a move in the UK for more corporates to be at least partly owned by charitable foundations.

“It’s also vital for the iGaming sector, including companies like SiGMA, to look at where they are. It’s not just they can make a difference in how they behave, but also how they invest.”

Paul is passionate about balancing CSR with protecting the environment. “It’s about having joined-up thinking, ensuring you have organisational direction, and having a proper environmental committee that reports back to your board.”

We finish the interview by discussing why it is vital to have a passion for your product. But it is clear, speaking with Paul, that the real driving force is the purpose behind his product. This unwavering commitment energises his vision. Leaving a legacy isn’t just about innovation; it is about imprinting a lasting, meaningful impact on communities. And with , including the SiGMA Foundation, it is obvious the best is yet to come.

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