Communities hit hard

BARCLAYS HAS LAUNCHED ITS COVID-19 COMMUNITY AID PACKAGE TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST

COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on our communities and the lives of so many. Lockdown restrictions, isolation and an uncertain economy have left many people struggling with loneliness, financial and practical difficulties. Charities and organisations that help keep our communities going have never been more vital, supporting those who’ve been hardest hit. Older people have been cut off from the interactions and conversations that keep them in contact with the outside world. Families have had to cope with job losses, causing worries about how they can put food on the table. And as essential care groups have had to close their doors, children with disabilities or special needs have had to go without the therapy that helps them to have full and active lives, and the carers who provide essential support to mums and dads.

The community groups and charities that do so much to help have also been badly hit this year, just when they’re needed more than ever. The cancellation of fundraising events, plus people’s own financial worries, have seen public donations drop by half.

Many charities fear they may not be able to meet demand for their services over the coming winter, especially with nearly half of them having to cut jobs due to the pandemic.

In this difficult time, Barclays has launched its Covid-19 Community Aid Package to help charities continue to carry out the vital work they do across the country.

The British bank is pledging £100million to support a number of organisations that are meeting the needs of people in the community acutely affected by the crisis – these include low- income families, isolated elderly people and key workers.

As part of the fund, in May Barclays invited charities to apply for one of 100 donations of £ 100,000, and received countless applications from those who are tirelessly delivering on-the-ground support. It has now committed to partnerships with charities such as the Bethany Christian Trust, which works with homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland, and Crossroads Care Oxfordshire, which provides trained care workers to share the challenge of caring for people with physical or mental health needs; it’s now making weekly supportive telephone calls and has set up a benefit fund for people who lost work during the pandemic.

Although the money will mainly be given out in the UK, it will also reach Barclays’ international markets, including Asia Pacific and the Americas.