Barclays' £100M COVID-19 Community Aid Package
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Barclays’ £100m COVID-19 Community Aid Package The story so far “We have a deep sense of responsibility to help our communities” 187 How Barclays is amplifying its community impact during the pandemic “When the world is in crisis, it can’t be solved by Delivering tangible outcomes donations of £100,000 each – attracted more than 1,000 applications one group,” says Sasha Wiggins, Group Head The global impact and was expanded to be able to support 187. of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility Designed to support charities helping at Barclays. “Governments, organisations and those affected by the pandemic, the of our charity Getting help to where it was needed individuals have to pull together and align to global programme has been delivering vital partnerships support communities in need.” COVID-19 relief to vulnerable communities From providing essential food, hygiene kits and PPE, to supporting that need it most, by harnessing the on-the- people struggling with mental health challenges, helping families in Wiggins is reflecting on Barclays’ biggest ground knowledge of charity partners. £100m financial distress and enabling people facing domestic violence to feel ever community relief effort, the £100m committed to support safer, help has been tailored to local needs. COVID-19 Community Aid Package, which Just over a year on, the package has now COVID-19 relief was launched in early 2020 as the scale and supported more than 290 charity partners And the vital support continues. Further contributions of essential potential social and economic impact of the around the world to deliver relief efforts 290+ medical supplies, PPE and food have recently been supplied in India pandemic started to become clear. into the heart of communities. Additionally, charity partners and the UK 100x100 Programme has also been expanded further, with colleagues’ fundraising efforts and personal 50 more donations of £100,000 being made. “We talked really early on in the pandemic,” donations have seen over £6.5m raised which, she remembers, “about how important it with Barclays matching, has meant a total of £13m+ Looking to the future, Wiggins sees it as “our responsibility to continue was that Barclays took swift action.” Group more than £13m for 1,985 charities. raised through colleagues’ to support communities”. She adds: “Our desire to help society in the Chairman Nigel Higgins adds: “We felt a generosity and long-term is part of who we are. This is about our purpose – and it’s deep sense of responsibility to help the In the UK, the 100x100 Programme – which Barclays’ matching more important now than ever.” communities we serve.” invited charities to apply for one of 100 1,985 To be able to respond so quickly and provide this level of support charities supported “ across our communities shows Barclays at its very best” by Barclays colleagues Nigel Higgins Group Chairman, Barclays 02 home.barclays/communityaidpackage Barclays’ COVID-19 Community Aid Package: The story so far Barclays’ COVID-19 23meals million+ served community across the US support NHS12 hospitals children1,100 given food and supported in the UK educational support highlights in Germany 187 donations PPE62,500 items given to healthcare of £100,000 workers in New York, New Jersey 65,000+hygiene kits distributed given to UK and Delaware, US across Asia Pacific grassroots 25,000 charities micro-grants100 provided to small support businesses in Delaware, US providing calls to older COVID-19 homeless112 families people in relief supported in Ireland the UK experiencing 100,000+families supported with food rations across Asia Pacific loneliness 50,000frontline workers supported with PPE in India + 7meals million+ served to people in need across the UK Barclays’ COVID-19 Community Aid Package: The story so far home.barclays/communityaidpackage 03 UK Macmillan Cancer Support £8in benefitsmillion+ unlocked for people living Lockdown meant facing with cancer treatment alone Jerry received a In late 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 grants available to them. And in a six-month period, Macmillan grant pandemic, Jerry was diagnosed with testicular Macmillan’s Advisers have unlocked more than “just in the nick cancer. Not only was he about to undergo £8 million in benefits and answered more than of time” chemotherapy, but he was also isolated from his 3,000 calls. family and friends and worried about catching the virus. And that wasn’t all. The charity has also been able to recruit seven extra Cancer Information and Support Specialists to JERRY’S STORY respond to the additional queries that Macmillan has “I’d had a cut in my wages and was worried about been receiving. Between October 2020 and March how I would pay my bills,” says the care manager and 2021, they handled 10,000 more conversations than former professional dancer. “It was a really emotional they would normally be able to respond to. time having to face my diagnosis alongside the pandemic, especially having to experience my A Macmillan grant came “just in the nick of surgery, treatment and cancer journey, for the most time” for Jerry, who lives in the West Midlands. “It part, alone.” really helped take those money worries off my mind and helped me to focus on the chemotherapy journey that was ahead.” It was a really emotional time “ having to face my diagnosis Jerry, whose cancer is now in remission, wants to use his experiences to encourage other young men alongside the pandemic” to talk about testicular cancer and check themselves on a regular basis. Our partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support says Jerry’s experience Macmillan Cancer Support is not uncommon. Its research shows that even Rebecca Stead, who works on the in normal times, four in five people with cancer Macmillan Support Line, says that 17 find themselves financially worse off following a while the pandemic has created new team members recruited to diagnosis, losing on average £570 per month. But “devastating disruption” across offer support and advice the pandemic has made that worse with so many cancer services, “at Macmillan, 497 people losing their jobs, facing a pay cut or having to we do whatever it takes to people with cancer given adjust their role at work due to shielding. support people living with cancer. Macmillan grants Just one call can really unlock Thanks to Barclays’ support, Macmillan has been that help for someone who might 13,000+ able to help 497 people living with cancer to be isolated and struggling.” additional access urgent funds, as well as recruit 10 additional interactions handled Welfare Rights Advisers who help cancer patients by Support Line and their families to navigate the benefits and team members Digital first report - Charity Partner Impact Report for Barclays 2021 04 home.barclays/communityaidpackage Barclays’ COVID-19 Community Aid Package: The story so far UK Refuge Samaritans 1 increase97% in tech abuse cases requiring “Refuge helped me to “Samaritans’ app helped specialist support feel safer online” me stop self-harming in “Technology is increasingly being misused to lockdown” monitor, harass and track women,” says Mari Refuge is Edwards, Head of Operations at domestic helping In the first year of the pandemic, volunteers women feel abuse charity Refuge. safer online at Samaritans have provided emotional support, via phone and email, more than 2.3 The pandemic has exacerbated this issue, million times to people struggling to cope. More 1 John overcame self-harm during lockdown with help with Refuge seeing on average a 97% increase than a fifth of those contacts have been about from Samaritans’ Self-Help app in complex tech abuse cases requiring the impact of COVID-19, with people feeling specialist support, compared with the first concerned about family relationships, finance part of 2020. and unemployment, and isolation. “Using Samaritans’ Self-Help app, as well as the since helped Refuge to develop its new website online chat service, has really helped me to stop. Many of those facing abuse, Mari adds, RefugeTechSafety.org. The impact of the pandemic on mental health I use the app all the time, even now. It’s always feel that they have to stop using their has become a major concern, with studies there, on your phone, in your pocket.” devices, leaving them with “short windows “We want women to know they are not alone,” finding that, in the UK alone, average mental of opportunity to access the support and says Mari. “We’re proud of how accessible the distress was 8.1% higher in April 2020 than in Barclays has committed to backing information they need”. website is, and we are certain that it will enable the previous three years. Samaritans as part of a three-year Refuge to reach more and more women during partnership. From upgrading its Self-Help AMY’S STORY the pandemic and beyond, who otherwise Responding to this surge in need and demand, app to offering expertise on how to run call When Amy was being harassed online by would have nowhere to turn.” Samaritans launched a new Self-Help web app centres remotely, the bank is helping the a man she had met on a dating app, she in May 2020, which has been used by more than charity adapt and future-proof its services reached out to Refuge’s Tech Abuse Team Launched in May 2021 with funding 55,000 people. and be there for more people like John. for advice. “At the time, the abuse felt from Barclays, Refuge’s new website insurmountable and my mental health was RefugeTechSafety.org is supporting women JOHN’S STORY severely affected,” she says. like Amy. The bank’s funding has also The charity’s online emotional support service helped strengthen Refuge’s cyber security helped John from Cheshire to overcome self- Refuge guided Amy to secure her online infrastructure and the charity’s processes harm during lockdown.