• The Trussell Trust: £50,000 was donated to The Trussell Trust, who provide an essential service for people who have nowhere else to turn and our donation will help some of the most vulnerable people in our society access food.
• St. Mungo’s: £20,000 was donated St. Mungo’s, which is one of the largest providers of homelessness services in the country, helping more than 30,000 vulnerable people last year through emergency outreach services, accommodation, tenancy support, health, skills, advice and employment services. The donation from Phoenix will assist with funding the operational costs for these projects.
• SIFA Fireside: £20,000 was donated to Birmingham city centre's main day centre for homeless and vulnerably-housed adults, SIFA Fireside. They provide essential front-line service to ensure their vulnerable clients have access to services they need to stay well throughout the current pandemic.
• The Camrose Centre: £20,000 was donated to The Camrose Centre. The Centre offers a drop-in service dedicated to providing support and assistance to the homeless, vulnerablyhoused and socially isolated in Basingstoke and Deane. This project is managed by Basingstoke Voluntary Action Charity. Phoenix’s donation will enable the Camrose Centre to continue to provide aid to those who rely on the service, particularly during the pandemic, with the Centre Manager currently working from home to offer on-line and telephone support to clients along with other practical acts.
• Social Bite: £20,000 was donated to Social Bite. Their aim is to end homelessness in Scotland. They are using their cafes and restaurants to make food parcels and deliver to those that need them. COVID-19 has seen an increase in the number of people facing food poverty and Social Bite has pledged to feed those in need, with Social Bite Cafes delivering 6,000 emergency food packs each weekday and free daily takeaway for 160 people at the cafes in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Phoenix Group’s donation will assist with the operational costs of these services.
• Cyrenians: £20,000 was donated to Cyrenians. They provide help and support to individuals across Edinburgh; homeless, elderly and young people. In response to the pandemic, Cyrenians has repurposed its Community Cook School into a production kitchen, cooking up to 1,000 meals a day, 7 days a week. These are distributed to vulnerable families and NHS staff in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Falkirk. As well as providing emergency food, they are remotely supporting families struggling with relationship breakdown and older people isolated from their communities; and, in, partnership with three other charities, outreach workers are supporting around 200 individuals self-isolating in hotels, many of whom were previously rough sleeping.

In addition, the Group also offered colleagues the opportunity to nominate smaller charities with a £250/€285 grant. 107 charities have, or will soon, receive a donation from the Group, with £26,250 and €4,275 being allocated to causes across the UK and Ireland. (Please find a breakdown below of the types of charities colleagues voted for below)

Earlier in the year volunteers from the Wythall office delivered more than 70 afternoon tea boxes to older members of the Wythall community. Many of the recipients are members of the Wythall Walking Friends and the Wythall Memory Café, whose activities have been suspended because of the current crisis. The doorstop deliveries provided the perfect opportunity for a socially distanced chat, with older people particularly vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation. At our Edinburgh office 54 afternoon tea boxes were arranged onsite by our caterer for Cyrenians clients in a similar piece of activity to support the local community in which our offices operate.

Andy Moss, CEO Heritage Business, Phoenix Group comments:

“COVID 19 is first and foremost a social crisis. As an organisation we believe it is more important than ever to support vulnerable people facing difficulties across the UK. The charities we have chosen to support are at the forefront of fighting this challenge, providing vital care and support services in a time of unprecedented demands, we feel it is our responsibility to help.

“At this time of economic and social uncertainty, all charities themselves are also vulnerable and we urge financially able businesses to join us to provide them with a lifeline through corporate donations.”

-Ends-

Enquiries

Leonie Garfield
Lansons
07530 626 212
leonieg@lansons.com

Rachel Esland
Phoenix Group
07892 705093
Rachel.esland@thephoenixgroup.com

Notes to editors

Types of charities colleagues voted for are: