CareTech Foundation Impact Report 2019/2020 >> Supporting Employees & Local Communities
CareTech Foundation runs three programmes to support local communities and the family and friends of CareTech plc employees facing challenges.
Community Grants
This small grants programme provides support for issues affecting local communities and to family and friends of CareTech plc facing challenges. Over this period of this report, the Foundation has provided funding of £39,790 to 35 organisations.
These are just three examples:
CareTech Foundation provided a £2,500 grant to provide social, sports and leisure activities and outings for 170 children, young people and adults with Cerebral Palsy.
CareTech Foundation provided a £2,500 grant to purchase equipment to set broadcasting studios in the local area, which – particularly this year with so many isolated – benefits listeners by entertaining and informing and participants of all ages by making programmes and other material. 30 members of the community support the radio station, with over 500 listeners worldwide.
A £1,000 grant enabled Crossroads Care Oxfordshire to purchase PPE equipment, which allowed staff to care for the 200 residents in safety.
Staff Hardship Grants
The Foundation receives a restricted donation from CareTech plc to provide small grants to CareTech plc staff who find themselves in significant financial hardship or at serious risk of becoming in significant financial hardship. Now in its second year of operation and recognising the hardship caused by the pandemic, CareTech Foundation was able to support 140 staff, providing grants totalling £99,270, 4x more than last year.
I can’t put into words how overcome I feel following your phone call. This grant will truly make a huge difference in my life; it will enable me to shake off the worries I have about making ends meet.
The CareTech Foundation has also supported the Care Workers Charity this year, who launched an Emergency Fund. Launched on 28th March 2020, the COVID-19 Emergency Fund was created to provide funding to care sector workers who were isolating/shielding and had received no financial support other than statuary sick pay. Since the launch, the Care Workers Charity has fundraised over 2million from a variety of donors and individuals, and with an average processing time of less than 14 days, the fund has been praised by beneficiaries for being able to provide grants quickly and efficiently. Through CareTech Foundation support, 271 care sector workers have received a hardship grant from the CWC Crisis Fund.
Match Funding
CareTech Foundation was also able to support 31 employees in their fundraising efforts, matching a further £7,766.
Two examples this year are:
During lockdown, a team of five carers at Carrs Farm, CareTech plc, organised a charity raffle to support Love Musgrove enabling extra equipment that improves the experience of patients. It also provides staff with training and development opportunities. They raised £1,220 which was match-funded in its entirety by the Foundation.
CareTech Foundation was also able to support the fundraising efforts of ‘The Cambian Girls’ who completed a sleep out on a cold winter’s day in January. Sarah Shapter, Danielle Gaye and Karen Sanders said:
‘We wanted to do this so that we could raise money for Julian House in Exeter, which supports the homeless community with food, shelter and access to other services. Homelessness is really prevalent in Exeter and Julian House need a lot of financial support to run this on a full time basis. We did not know what to expect and what we discovered was quite an eye opener. It really brought home what it must be like not have anywhere to live and to need to sleep where you can regardless of how cold and noisy it is. We would like to thank everyone that sponsored us, and the young person from one of our homes who came all the way from Plymouth to cheer us on!! We raised a grand total of £730 and the CareTech Foundation kindly matched this total, so we were able to give a grand total £1,460 to Julian House!’