With the world slowly starting to feel more normal again since government guidance changed in July, now feels like a good time to reflect on what we have achieved since the start of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Although this has been one of the most difficult periods of our lives, we have seen communities in Guildford come together to support one another and we have a newfound level of respect for the NHS, who have been magnificent.
Before the pandemic, we had worked with Foodwise TLC on a trial scheme to make sure children in Guildford had hot meals during school holidays. At the start of the pandemic, we realised that entire families would struggle to put food on the table with schools being shut. In partnership with Foodwise TLC we launched a new initiative to provide hot food to vulnerable people in Guildford. Foodwise TLC set up three kitchens across Guildford including a church hall, nursery school and a café and created six recipes. By August 2020 we had helped to provide 30,000 cooked meals to over 300 vulnerable families.
Another important part of our work has been supporting local charities with grants which help them continue to support local people. During the pandemic we awarded 14 grants totalling over £140,000. We also continued to help charities raise money so they could support those in need. We supported the Guildford Action for Community Care, North Guildford Food Bank, The Matrix Trust, The Big Leaf Foundation and helped create and expand the Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership’s Community Hub. We also helped fund a new Business Manager for mental health charity Oakleaf Enterprise to increase the opportunities available to its clients.
To fund our new initiatives and give extra support to local charities we needed financial support. We went to our amazing Corporate Ambassadors and existing donors, and appealed to new donors for help. The response was overwhelming. In just under four months, we raised nearly £120,000 and since the start of the pandemic we have now received over £250,000 in donations. In addition, we welcomed new Corporate Ambassadors on board, and the majority of existing Corporate Ambassadors renewed their commitment for another year.
The amount that we raised through these renewals was generously match-funded by Guildford Borough Council who have played a vital role as community leaders throughout the pandemic, providing for our vulnerable communities in so many ways whilst maintaining our borough’s vital frontline services.
We continued to help carers through Carers Support Guildford and Guildford Young Carers, two funds that we manage to support an often hidden and under-represented part of society.
We also helped local digitally-disadvantaged school children with their online studies by providing 50 laptops to Kings College, which were sourced for us by one of our Corporate Ambassadors, Guildford IT company Unigold 2000. We also gave school equipment to Guildford Grove Primary and Christ’s College schools. Recently we donated another 50 laptops to Kings College and Guildford Grove Primary schools. More information on this can be read here.
We were really pleased to receive the Mayor of Guildford’s new Community Heroes Award in May. You can watch our Chairman, Peter Cluff’s interview with Nick Wyschna here.
During this difficult time, we would like to thank our Corporate Ambassadors, Guildford Borough Council and everyone who made a donation. You have made a significant difference and supported our activities to help disadvantaged people in Guildford. We are committed to raising awareness and encouraging local giving to tackle local need and we are always looking for people to join us. If you want to find out more about becoming a Corporate Ambassador, please click here.
