Staff at the NFU Mutual agency in Bath have nominated two local charities, Bath Mind and the Bath Foodbank, to receive donations of more than £3000 each thanks to a national fund.
Foodbank bags packed and ready to go with Anne Banks and Linda Wright | Photo © Bath Foodbank
The funding, made possible thanks to the £2 million ‘Agency Giving Fund’ launched by NFU Mutual in February, will see each charity receive £3,225.
To ensure donations reach all corners of the UK and are directed where they’re needed most, staff were given the opportunity to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund.
The donation will help to support Bath Mind’s efforts to respond to what has been a stressful and challenging time for many people during the pandemic.
This includes a daytime and evening telephone crisis support service, as well as a Community Wellbeing Hub which is open to residents to provide support relating to Covid-19.
Other services include various online well-being groups and one-to-one counselling via Skype.
The money will also help the Bath Foodbank and Genesis Trust to continue to support families, couples and individuals in desperate need in Bath and the surrounding area.
It provides three days of nutritionally balanced emergency food parcels and support to local people who are referred to it in crisis.
In March 2020 the charity had to change how it provided support and is currently running the foodbank using e-vouchers and home delivery to keep its clients, volunteers and staff as safe as possible during the pandemic.
Heather Wareham, Agent at NFU Mutual Bath, said: “Covid has had and continues to have a huge impact on everybody, including our customers and their local communities.
“The work carried out by Bath Mind is a vital lifeline for during a particularly stressful and challenging time and the Bath Foodbank run by Genesis Trust and its volunteers have been making a huge difference to the community during these challenging times.
“We are extremely proud to be able to support these charities through NFU Mutual’s National Fund and we thank them all for their continued hard work and valued support in our local community.”
Jodie Hoskin, Fundraising and Training Manager at Bath Mind, added: “Bath Mind are delighted to be a charity chosen by NFU Mutual at a time where supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing is vital.
“Since the pandemic began in 2020, Bath Mind have adapted our entire service offer across Bath and North East Somerset. We have provided a hybrid approach of virtual and face-to-face support, and our services have become a lifeline for so many individuals.
“Throughout the pandemic, we set up five new services to meet the increasing demand, and in 2020-21 alone we directly supported over 4,500 individuals.
“The demand for our services continues to increase, but our usual fundraising events and activities are at a standstill. To continue our vital services, it is paramount that our work is supported by local donations and funding.
“By donating to Bath Mind, NFU Mutual Bath have directly helped individuals across Bath and North East Somerset access life-changing mental health support.”
Hilary Long, Community and Events Manager at Genesis Trust Bath, said: “We would like to thank all at NFU Mutual Bath for such a fantastic donation to support the work of Bath Foodbank and Genesis Trust.
“Our distribution centres are closed and so we are unable to meet our clients in person but we can still offer them a listening ear. We have launched a telephone service to connect clients with volunteers who can provide support and signposting to other services.
“In 2020/21 we provided 2,765 food parcels to 5,286 people (1,482 were children). We also provided 100 sports activity packs during the summer holidays, 200 toy vouchers at Christmas for parents to buy their children a gift and new books to keep them entertained during the lockdowns.
“We have also supported many families with food through some of our local schools and will be running a Summer school holiday food project with local schools again this in July and August.
“All this cannot be achieved without the support of our local community and the generosity of people like everyone at NFU Mutual Bath.”
