Barclays bank has awarded Ongo a donation of £100,000 to enable them to continue supporting their tenants throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The money, which has come from the Barclays Community Relief Programme, has been spent on services introduced by Ongo at the beginning of March to look out for their tenants who needed extra support.
Ongo says this involves making 600 safe-and-well calls each week, offering free mental health counselling sessions, and the delivery of more than 300 food parcels each week.
As well as providing extra support, the grant has also paid for seven additional members of staff to support the project.
The new vacancies include two assistants to carry out safe-and-well calls, a new mental health counsellor, a delivery driver for the food parcels, and a kitchen assistant.
Jan Williams, head of Opportunities at Ongo said: “It was absolutely brilliant to receive this funding as part of the Barclays Community Relief Programme, and the money has been able to support so many of our tenants.
“This year really is a time we must look out for one another, and offer help to those that need it most. Here at Ongo, supporting our tenants is so important to us, so it’s great to be able to continue with the initial support we put in place.
“We’re really grateful to Barclays for this funding and know that it will make a huge difference in our local community.”
In April, Barclays announced a £100m Community Aid Package to support organisations that are helping people and communities most affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Alongside a colleague-matched fundraising initiative and the £10m pledged through their 100×100 Programme, Barclays is donating funds to charity partners across the globe to ensure help reaches those who need it most.
Lee Webb, Barclays Market director for Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, said: “This crisis has had an unprecedented impact across the UK, and we know this is an incredibly challenging time for many in the North Lincolnshire region.
“By reaching those most in need of support, local charities, such as Ongo have played a vital role in this crisis to date, and no doubt they will do going forward.
“As a proud member of our community, we are doing everything we can for our customers, clients and colleagues, and we hope that our partnership with Ongo will allow many others to access the help they need as this crisis develops.”
Main Image: Richard Walker/ImageNorth
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