Member Article

Barclays gives St Luke’s telephone helpline £100,000 boost

THE Barclays 100x100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme has given £100,000 to Sheffield’s St Luke’s Hospice to aid patients and families in the city by extending a vital telephone helpline throughout the pandemic.

In April, Barclays announced a £100 million community aid package to support charities that are helping people and communities most impacted by COVID-19.

Alongside a colleague-matched fundraising initiative and the £10m pledged through their100x100 programme, Barclays is donating funds to charity partners across the UK, Americas, Asia and Europe to ensure help reaches those who need it most.

For St Luke’s, that means being able to extend the hours of operation for the patient helpline that has become a vital means of practical support for both patients and families throughout Sheffield during the many stages of lockdown.

“We are quite simply overwhelmed by the generous level of support that Barclays has shown,” said St Luke’s Head of Fundraising Joasia Lesniak.

“At any time, a donation of £100,000 would be beyond all expectations but as we continue to work on through the pandemic and strive to maintain vital levels of service for all the people of Sheffield, the impact of this donation simply cannot be underestimated.

“St Luke’s normally offers a 9am-5pm, seven day per week telephone helpline for patients, families and professionals through our Community Team.

“Thanks to this incredible level of funding, during the pandemic we’ve extended the helpline until 8pm daily, which will continue into 2021.”

Matthew Chenery, Barclays Relationship Director, said: “This crisis has had an unprecedented impact across the UK and we know this is an incredibly challenging time for many in South Yorkshire.

“By reaching those most in need of support, local charities such as St Luke’s Hospice have played a vital role in this crisis to date, and no doubt they will do going forward.

“As a proud member of our community, we are doing everything we can for our customers, clients and colleagues, and we hope that our partnership with St Luke’s Hospice will allow many others to access the help they need as this crisis develops.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Highfield .