As we are entering another peak in the rollercoaster that is this ongoing global pandemic, it Is as important as ever to ensure that local businesses can remain on their feet. This is especially true for essential, life-altering services such as Birmingham’s St Mary’s Hospice which supports countless individuals living with terminal conditions.

We are proud to say that earlier this month we managed to set aside £250 to donate to help keep the hospice afloat and supporting those in need during this tough time.

Early on in the pandemic, St Mary’s Hospice sounded the alarm with an urgent appeal that has remained ever since. The hospice, as with many like-establishments, relies on fundraising events and charity shops alongside donations. Of course, for much of the pandemic fundraising events had to be postponed or cancelled and charity shops closed. Resulting in an incredible drop in the funds necessary to keep their essential care functioning.

Despite this, the good people at St Mary’s Hospice didn’t stop their care, even with their funding situation being totally uncertain.

The Hospice even revealed the fact that they require a minimum of £24,658 per day to provide their care to those in need. But with their usual funding channels closed £14,000 of this must now come from donations.

This is why we are proud to have managed to pull together the funds to do our part in keeping this essential service afloat. Of course, £250 pales when compared to their daily figures. However, when paired with all the kind donations from other local businesses, individuals and groups we can collectively keep this essential service available for those who need it.

As a Security Company based in the West Midlands, it is both our business and passion to keep those that live here safe, healthy and happy. This of course extends far beyond manned guarding and mobile security patrols, and into ensuring that local businesses and services thrive, while our local communities remain well.

St Mary’s Hospice is an essential component in keeping a large number of individuals well, specifically those living with complex and terminal illnesses. As we all know, this group is also particularly vulnerable to coronavirus and as such require extra care and attention through this tough time.

As the hospice lacks the means to secure funds the responsibility lands on the community.

This donation to St Mary’s Hospice continues to expand our donations and support for local establishments.

Back in August we donated £250 to Bromsgrove Men in Sheds initiative, headed by the charity Age UK, after it came to our attention that it was in danger for similar reasons.

Furthermore, we also recently branched-out to support our local football club, Bromsgrove Sporting F.C., by becoming a sponsor.

As this pandemic stretches out towards 2021 and shows little sign of slowing, it is proving more and more pressing to support local establishments. As such, as we progress into the new year, we hope that we continue to find ourselves in a position where we can donate and support businesses, charities and services in our local area.

But this way of thinking isn’t just for us, Birmingham residents or even those throughout the West Midlands. It’s up to everyone across the UK, and across the globe, to band together to support those people and establishments who keep the world turning.

As such, we heartily encourage your business to support the St Mary’s Hospice, or any project local to you which is need to financial assistance through this especially tough time.

Beyond helping as businesses, we can also all help as individuals—both financially and otherwise. For example, back in the spring St Mary’s Hospice encouraged its supporters to take on a bunch of virtual challenges to help raise funds. These ranged from virtual 40-mile walks or 100-mile bike rides and other activities which could be taken part in remotely.

Events like these go to show that there are many ways we can get involved and help support our local businesses, even if we aren’t able to donate funds directly.

Thus, be it financial or fundraising, business or individual, it’s important that we all do our part in supporting local businesses during this period. And we are proud that our £250 donation to St Mary’s Hospice continues our mission in supporting local establishments.

As the shockwaves of the global pandemic, both social and economic, continue to ripple across the globe, it’s important to keep a keen eye on our local communities to help them remain afloat.

Mid-way through August, it came to our attention that our local Men in Sheds initiative in Bromsgrove, headed by the charity Age UK, was in danger. The charity was still paying rent for its workshop premises despite being closed due to COVID-19. Of course, in a time littered with other financial issues the charity must be facing, such costs without ends could easily be interpreted as haemorrhaging money, which could result in long-term closure. Thus, as a local security business based in Birmingham we saw it as our responsibility to help keep this profoundly important initiative alive, donating £250 to assist in their next rental payment.

Originating from an Australian project, Men in Sheds began its UK incarnation in 2008, established by Age UK.

It is an initiative which provides workshop space for anybody—both men and women—to convene and work on DIY projects, sharing skills, developing new ones and building strong local connections along the way.

Beyond the practicalities of the DIY projects, Men in Sheds hopes to help tackle the loneliness and social isolation that often occurs after retirement, foregrounding connection, mutual goals and community above all else.

Across the UK there are over 500 active Men in Sheds projects, most of which remain temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Many of these sheds are linked to charities, such as Age UK, while others operate independently to the same ends.

Each year a national Shed-Fest brings together the disparate groups from across the nation to share news, methods and promote connection further from home. At Shed-Fest 2018, which took place in our very own University of Worcester, a survey showed that 97% of members had made new friends since joining a Men in Sheds initiative, 89% reported a decrease in depression, 88% felt more connected to their local community and 75% reported a reduction in anxiety. These statistics provide some empirical evidence of the importance of such initiatives for members nationwide—only solidifying the need to support such vital programmes throughout the pandemic fallout.

These life-altering statistics are certainly heart-warming, but also highlight the danger of their doors being forced shut. Fortunately, we are delighted to hear that many members of Men In Shed initiatives, including our local project in Bromsgrove, have turned to holding virtual meetings—keeping the community spirit and support alive through this particularly straining time for physical and mental health.
Meanwhile, Age UK has been working tirelessly to reconfigure the spaces to be COVID-safe. Our £250 sponsorship, donated wholeheartedly from our entire security guard team, hopes to help cover the rental of the collective’s spaces in Bromsgrove and aid in their reorganisation, so that its members can again reap the benefits of task-oriented social interaction in the near future.
Age UK’s Jo Hughes has said, “Once we have done this reorganisation, and are in a position to re-open, we look forward to inviting the TGF Team over so that they can see for themselves the difference their support