- Huw Hughes
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RetailTrust and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have joined forces
to launch a fundraising campaign, called ‘CaRe 20 – Caring for Retail
during COVID-19’, which aims to raise 10 million pounds to support retail
workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The appeal’s goal is to provide financial, emotional, physical, and
vocational support for contractors and temporary staff, employees who have
been left out of work, and others seeking financial support. Emotional
support is also being offered to those still working who are under
heightened stress due to the current situation.
CaRe20 will help fund a spate of initiatives including financial grants
to assist with food, essential bills, childcare and other necessities;
counseling for stress and anxiety over the phone or online; upskilling and
retraining for those made redundant due to the pandemic or seeking a new
role; and online self-help resources and tools via myrtwellbeing.org.uk.
Funds will also be available for workers in industries supporting
retail, such as food distribution and pharmaceutical and medical supply
sectors.
The government earlier this month said it would pay up to 80 percent of
wages up to 2,500 pounds per month for UK workers who have lost their job
due to the coronavirus, with “no limit” on how much money the government
would make available for the scheme.
But RetailTrust – while acknowledging the decision as “excellent” –
believes it “will not come close to solving the real problems.”
The organisation’s chief executive Richard Boland said in a statement:
“Covid-19 has created unprecedented challenges for society and the retail
community. How we all care for
each other will define how well the nation will come out of this in the
future.
“We are
experiencing unprecedented demand for our online services especially via
myrtwellbeing.org.uk and we are ready with emergency funding to support all
involved
but the length and depth of the need for support will dwarf anything we
have seen in
the last one hundred years. We need your help.”
Photo credit: RetailTrust
