The Barclays 100 x 100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Funding enabled The Wallich to:
Charities were invited to apply for one of 100 donations of £100,000, and Barclays were received hundreds of applications from charities across the UK delivering on-the-ground support to at-risk communities impacted by the crisis.
Barclays launched their 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme to support COVID-19 relief work in local communities.
The programme, which forms part of their wider COVID-19 Community Aid Package, focuses on supporting UK charity partners who are meeting the immediate needs of people in our communities, including low income families, those facing financial hardship, isolated elderly people and key workers.
The Wallich’s expert homelessness teams across Wales have supported people with issues such as completing paperwork, accessing advice for housing, health and justice and completing Universal Credit applications.
Access to the internet has been particularly crucial for everyone during the pandemic, The Wallich has enabled continued access to digital support services including DWP, education and employment programs, arts engagement activities, peer support and counselling sessions when they were without broadband or Wi-Fi.
In the throes of the pandemic from March 2020, The Wallich’s operating costs increased by £289,966. This included the cost of PPE, health and safety measures and increasing digital accessibility.
With the support of Barclays and the wider Welsh community, The Wallich has been able to maintain service delivery and cover these unexpected costs throughout the year and remain in a strong position to continue providing support throughout and beyond this crisis.
“Thanks to the ongoing support from Barclays, The Wallich has provided vital support to 3,400 people experiencing homelessness.
“Whilst rough sleeping seems to have physically decreased on the streets, homelessness has not gone away.
“The pressures of COVID-19 have in some cases heightened those indicators which can lead to homelessness: family breakdown, mental health, substance misuse, evictions, unemployment or loss of income to name a few.
“It was not an option for us to close all of our services during the pandemic, because clearly people needed our help.
“However, with the support of organisations like Barclays, they have helped to ensure that support has remained available for anyone who needed it and that staff could provide that support safely.”
“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 The Wallich 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 The Wallich 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.”
