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.
Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive of HIWCF, said “We would like to thank the team at Covers for their extremely generous donation, which will help many local people currently facing distress and hardship during this time of national crisis. COVID-19 has resulted in many local charities and community groups either closing down or having to significantly revise their services. This funding will go directly towards supporting these organisations that are helping people in need, providing essential food and medicine for those who are self-isolating, and enabling befriending, companionship and counselling to take place safely online, alleviating the pressure on the NHS.”
One charity which has benefited from the fund is Park Community School in Leigh Park, Havant. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, its MUNCH Project provided those in need in the Leigh Park area with healthy meals, prepared by the catering team from the school kitchens. The team were able to put together fresh meals for collection by those able to leave their homes during lockdown, while MUNCH partnered with local Foodbank PO9 to deliver meals to vulnerable families, older people and those shielding, living alone and unable to get out of the house.
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.”
Photograph: Food boxes being prepared at Park Community School in Leigh Park for its MUNCH Project.
About Covers
Covers Timber and Builders Merchants has been in operation for over 170 years and has a chain of depots throughout the South of England, open to the trade and to the public. They are specialist timber and builders merchants, but also supply a wide range of products and services for both the building trade and for home DIY.
Website: www.coversmerchants.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoversTimber
Twitter: @coverstimber
Covers has branches at:
Aldershot Burgess Hill Horsham Southampton
Alresford Bexleyheath (OTBS) Lewes Tunbridge Wells
Bognor Regis Chichester Portsmouth
Brighton Gosport Rudgwick
Media Contact: Harriette Conroy, PMW Communications Ltd.
E: harriette.conroy@pmwcom.co.uk T: 01403 783400 ext. 211
