As COVID-19 response charity, HEROES, reaches 1 million pounds raised milestone they pledge to financially support NHS workers with new grants scheme
Set up four weeks ago in response to the growing pressure on the NHS frontline of the COVID-19 crisis, HEROES has reached an incredible milestone of £1,000,000 in funds raised. Set up to deliver on one mission at its heart; Help Them Help Us, HEROES today in turn launches a new scheme offering NHS workers financial support to cover the costs of anything from childcare to transport during the national health crisis.
Founded by NHS workers to help NHS workers, HEROES brings direct insight from the frontline on the physical, mental and day to day needs of staff across the nation. The founders identified financial support as one of four key focus areas for the HEROES mission (alongside PPE, food and well being services) which spearheaded the decision to invest some of the generous donations on a ‘HEROES Support Grants’ scheme that offers NHS staff serving on the frontline up to £1,500 per individual.
The aim of the grants is to cover incremental costs incurred during COVID-19 like extra childcare, transport, accomodation and food due to additional and longer shifts than normal and in some cases having to isolate from other household members.
Co-Founder and CEO of HEROES Dr Dominic Pimenta (pictured) comments; “Having worked multiple nights in ICU this week I have had to take taxis as I was unable to drive and getting to the shops was impossible. Childcare is also a real issue for us. I hope these grants will be able to help my colleagues on the frontline and make their lives a little easier. Reaching £1,000,000 raised is beyond what I ever imagined when we set out to help them help us and it is only thanks to everyone’s kind and generous donations that means we can offer support to NHS workers in this way”
To help address the childcare shortage further for key workers in the UK HEROES has also joined forces with Childcare.co.uk, the UK’s largest childcare website, to create a new system that offers; free registration for NHS staff, free search and messaging to suitable childcarers in the NHS workers area and aims to provide free out-of-hours childcare relief to those who really need it.
Co-founder and Director of Heroes, Dr Roshana Mehdian says: “We are both honoured and excited to work with Childcare.co.uk to help provide NHS staff with the childcare that they need. When nurseries and schools began to shut down their doors we knew we needed to act and collaborating with Childcare.co.uk creates the perfect platform to provide a solution at this difficult time. Along with our grants system, which can be used to pay for childcare needs, we believe we can support NHS workers to stay at work and keep helping patients.”
Since HEROES started just four weeks ago, 44,462 units of gifts (such as food, hand creams, drinks) and personal protective equipment (PPE) have been delivered to the frontline across 46 hospitals in the UK. Further investments are now being made into the production of vital PPE as another key focus for HEROES including funding a 3D printing hub that is now helping to produce 10,000 visors per week and distributed to the helping hands that need them the most.
HEROES Ambassador and England Cricketer Sam Curran says; “I’m excited to join the HEROES team as an ambassador to help raise awareness of the work being done to support the incredible NHS staff. Reaching £1,000,000 is an amazing milestone and is the reason why we can continue to deliver on our mission today to help the real heroes on the frontline, help us”.
For further information about the grants and childcare support scheme visit www.helpthemhelpus.co.uk. To donate instantly to the appeal, please click here: gofundme
The HEROES launch film (which was also projected onto the iconic White Cliffs as a sign of unity) can be found and shared on Instagram: @helpthemhelpus
HEROES* was founded and is staffed by our frontline NHS workers and their families, and powered by a network of generous corporations, service providers, and individuals devoted to making help easy to find, and easy to provide. The band of volunteers behind HEROES – from a range of industries – is working around the clock to build a permanent platform that will link donors, providers and our NHS staff to one another in this urgent time of need.
*Healthcare; Extraordinary; Response; Organisation; Education; Support
