Local family owned company Covers Timber and Builders Merchants has donated £50,000 to five charities across the South East to support those struggling during the pandemic.
The charities include Sussex Crisis Fund, Stonepillow Homeless Centre, Chichester Information Shop (CIS), Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF), and 13 community foodbanks located across Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent.
Covers is well known for its generosity, regularly giving thousands of pounds to charities and worthy causes, including more than £30,000 last year to local hospices. Chairman Rupert Green also raised over £13,000 by doing a freefall parachute jump for the charity Combat Stress, which helps veterans with mental health issues.
One charity which has benefited from the fund, receiving £13,500 cash along with the use of a three-bedroom property was Chichester-based homeless charity, Stonepillow. It provides support to homeless and vulnerable people 365 days a year across Chichester and Arun. It offers a complete recovery journey focused on improving health and wellbeing, and sustaining independent living.
Sarah Dakin, Fundraising and Communications Manager at Stonepillow, said:
“We have faced huge demand for our services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been made even more challenging due to having to close our retail outlets and cancel all fundraising events. This has resulted in a significantly reduced income for the charity, so we are extremely grateful to Covers for stepping in to provide vital support at such a crucial time with both an extremely generous donation and the provision of additional accommodation. This will make a huge difference to those we help.”
Rupert Green, Chairman of Covers Timber & Builders Merchants, added:
“The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on so many people across our community. Numerous families are now facing incredibly difficult times ahead. Not just from the illness itself and the trauma of losing loved ones, but the economic crisis that looms alongside it with reduced incomes and lost opportunities. Despite the disruption COVID-19 caused to our business, we decided to maintain and increase our support to those who need us most and help them through this in the best way possible. These donations will hopefully provide a lifeline to many people who might not have had this chance otherwise. We are therefore absolutely delighted to have contributed this significant sum to the wonderful causes helping so many people across the South East. We hope the funds make a real difference to those who are most in need during this tough time.”