A total of £202,245 has been raised to date (Wednesday, 8 April) after the charity launched a £1 million appeal for financial support for care workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
The fund is an emergency grant programme aimed at helping care workers in need because of the virus. The charity began making available financial grants for care workers to apply for, from 30 March.
‘Help you can give will go a long way’
There are almost two million care workers in the UK who spend their lives caring for others but when circumstances change, often it is the care workers who need help.
Should a care worker have to self-isolate, as a result of displaying coronavirus symptoms, they may not be able to return to work and may be on zero-hour contracts.
Many care workers are unable to continue vital work protecting people reliant on care because they themselves have underlying health conditions.
“We will receive a large number of applications for help in the coming weeks and require extra funds to help with the increased demand” said a spokesman for the Care Workers Charity.
“Any help you can give will go a long way. This is not going to be an easy journey, but together we can make it.”
Care workers ‘will fall into desperate need’
Karolina Gerlich took up her new job as executive director at the Care Workers Charity on 23 March.
Karolina Gerlich said: “COVID-19 is one of the biggest crises our generation will see in its lifetime.
“Care workers are at the frontline of this, caring for the most vulnerable people in our society who are most susceptible to the virus.
“If a care worker needs to self-isolate they will fall into desperate need. For this reason, we need more funds for extra emergency grants.”
Hallmark Homes and Hallmark Care Homes Foundation has donated £30,000 to support care workers.
Avnish Goyal, chair of Hallmark Homes, said: “The Hallmark Foundation is a support fund for all care workers but there will be people who fall between the cracks and don’t have the support they need.
“I support this cause and hope that this acts as a catalyst for others will join forces too.”
Martin Jones, chief executive at Home Instead Senior Care, which has also pledged money, said: “Caring for our care workers has never been so important than during this difficult time.
“I ask that everyone should consider our care workers and make a donation to the campaign to ensure we are all helping each other to keep the nation safe.”
At 8pm every Thursday, the public collectively stop to clap for NHS and care workers at work during the coronavirus pandemic but donating money is another way people across Britain can show their gratitude.
You can help the Care Workers’ Charity keep the UK caring by donating to its Just Giving page here.
