£100k Boost for Local Families from Barclays

We have been able to provide vital support to more Elmbridge families, thanks to a generous donation from the Barclays 100x100 UK Covid-19 Community Relief Fund.

Barclays invited UK charities to apply for one of 100 donations of £100,000, to help communities deal with the unprecedented social and economic crisis caused by Covid-19, and Walton Charity was chosen as one of the 100 UK charities best placed to provide this support to our Elmbridge community.

Even before the pandemic, low-income households in Elmbridge were struggling to make ends meet and multiple lockdowns plunged many more local families into crisis. By working with our extensive network of trusted local organisations and schools, we have been able to respond quickly to provide support where it is needed most.

“The funding from Barclays has made a huge difference to our ability to respond quickly to our community during the pandemic and support more people when they were most in need. We are here to help and Elmbridge-based organisations and schools are encouraged to get in touch with us to find out more.”

— Jackie Lodge, Chief Executive, Walton Charity

Thanks to this funding we’ve already been able to award over 60 grants to Elmbridge families for food and essential items, and fund counselling sessions for vulnerable children affected by Covid-19.

Whilst the lockdowns have affected us all, the pandemic has had a huge impact on the youngest people in our community, with disruption to their education and social lives. We have also been able to use the Barclays funding to support young people through catch up interventions at a local primary school and mental health support for local teenagers.

Nigel Higgins, Barclays Group Chairman, said: “COVID-19 has created an unprecedented social and economic impact in the UK, with many sadly experiencing greater hardship due to the crisis. Incredible organisations, such as Walton Charity have been playing a vital role in the UK’s response to the pandemic, ensuring urgent help reaches those most in need of support. As a bank, we have been doing all we can for our customers, clients and colleagues, and we hope that our 100x100 programme and wider community aid package helps ensure that everybody in the communities in which we live and work is supported through this crisis.”