I suggest you approach your own bank first AND ASK FOR THEIR FREE advice service. Remember all High Street institutions, like banks and building societies, are falling over themselves to give people like you advice in the hope of investing your money. You can consider Independent Financial Advisers who will normally take commision from the institution they may invest your cash with.
I cannot stress too strongly that you should NOT simply take the advice given "because they are the experts". There is no sustitute for getting to know the situation inside out and backwards. NOT SO DAUNTING if you go to more than one institution and what you learn each time you put into practice at the next appointment and so on. Look at the Hargeaves Lansdown website - no charge for looking!
PREPARATION FOR AN APPOINTMENT
This will be in confidence but you can confirm that if you are a belt and braces man like me.
Make sure you give all relevant information so you can be advised best. For example say you don't and say you say I need the money in five years, go with 'five year advice' and complete on that basis. As you are coming up to needing the cash in three years you look through your paperwork and find your investment is for five years and there is no early surrender OR there's a massive penalty for early surrender.
And finally, I stress just because they are 'the experts' don't simply go along with the advice. You should find that all advice is competent BUT it can vary sometimes quite significantly.