whg has secured a £100,000 donation to support those households hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The donation, which was awarded through the Barclays 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Aid Package, will enable whg to distribute around 1,000 ‘bags of kindness’ to those customers who have been most affected by the pandemic.
Each bag will be tailored to the customers’ needs, providing a range of items that will help people to manage better during the pandemic.
Digital packs will include the tools needed to connect to the outside world and access services, while food hampers will contain healthy food items.
Other parcels will address fuel poverty and health and wellbeing.
Julie Haywood, director of Community Investment, said: “The pandemic has affected us all in lots of ways, from financial hardship to digital exclusion and isolation.
“Research has shown that the pandemic has disproportionately affected people living in social housing more, and we hope that this donation from Barclays will provide a small gift of kindness.
“We will be working with our partners to identify those households who will benefit most from this support and provide vital provisions that will ensure they are not disadvantaged further by the crisis.
“I would like to thank Barclays for their generous donation, which will help us reach more customers struggling during this challenging time.”
Nigel Higgins, Barclays chair, said: “COVID-19 has created an unprecedented social and economic impact in the UK, with many experiencing greater hardship due to the crisis.
“Incredible charities, such as whg, have been playing a vital role in the UK’s response to the pandemic, ensuring urgent help reaches those most in need of support.
“As a bank, we have been doing all we can for our customers, clients, and colleagues, and we hope that by partnering with whg and many other charities across the UK, collectively we can ensure that as many people as possible in the communities in which we live and work are supported through this crisis.”
Barclays 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Aid Package was launched in April to help those organisations that were delivering impactful, on-the-ground support to vulnerable UK communities impacted by the crisis.
whg is among the largest providers of housing in the Midlands, overseeing more than 50,000 residents in around 21,000 properties.
Image: DanaMelnychuk/Shutterstock
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