It’s a natural instinctive reaction during times of high stress for people to become more inward looking and ensure their personal stability before trying to help others, but this is creating a nightmare scenario for charities. Here are some examples of how The EQ Foundation is trying to help:

The Big Issue

For nearly 30 years The Big Issue has played a vital role in society, supporting well over 100,000 vulnerable people to earn a legitimate income and lead more stable and fulfilling lives. Under the lockdown their operating basis of street vendors of the excellent magazine simply can’t operate, so they are now selling it via retailers and subscriptions. We have made a donation to help support their infrastructure and also encourage anyone else who values the incredible work they do to subscribe for the magazine.

City harvest

We first supported City Harvest in November because we liked the way they are able to recycle food approaching its Best By date to charities dealing with homeless and other vulnerable people. That continues but they have also started channelling food to NHS staff, so we made an extra donation.

Beam

Beam is a really innovative charity that aims to provide homeless people with the skills they need to become self-sustaining members of society. We were really impressed with the business plan and with the track record of the entrepreneurial CEO Alex Stephany.

The Bike Project

The Bike Project collects and refurbishes secondhand bikes. Some of these are sold but most are donated to refugees, providing them with an essential mode of transport and exercise while they wait (often for years) for their cases to be determined.

You can read more about our work on the Giving is Great website.