Investing in Community Groups at the heart of your neighbourhoods

Recognising that community groups and charitable organisations were hit the hardest by the Coronavirus pandemic, we provided the necessary financial support to ensure their recovery and enable them to become more resilient to future setbacks.

We set up our £100,000 Resilience Fund to help community groups that provide much-needed support to those hit hardest by the pandemic in their communities. There was an overwhelming response of applications and following a rigorous short-listing process, 13 well-deserved groups and organisations from across our five regions received a share.

These included St Vincent’s Furniture Store in Sheffield, who collect and redistribute recycled furniture and household items to people who are disadvantaged due to poverty, along with Reel CiC (Real Education Empowering Lives) based in Oldham, a community organisation that prevents food waste in partnership with Fare Share through the Food Pantry in South Chadderton, where members can buy low cost fresh food.

The 13 groups that benefited from the cash injection support our guiding principles for the fund and will ensure our customers have access to the help they need. Each of the organisations works in areas such as; poverty reduction including fuel, furniture and food; employment, training and volunteering opportunities; financial and digital inclusion and organisational resilience.

The fund would not have been possible without the help and support of our partner organisations. Countryside, one of our development partners, donated a generous £25,000 to the fund. In addition, there was £23,000 received from one of our contractors Emanuel Whittaker, £12,000 from Connelly and £3,400 from Truline – another example of by developing strong partnerships we can do more together.