Running a charity requires round-the-clock dedication, arguably unlike any other job you could do. There is no nine-to-five, no “closing the doors” at the end of the day, and no deadline to end the emotional pressure of trying to make sure the people you work with get the help they need. It’s stressful and demanding.
When Covid-19 and lockdown hit, these pressures on charities undoubtedly weighed more heavily than ever. But across the country there was also a renewed vigour to not give up on their vital work. And it’s that tenacity that has kept many of them afloat, despite the 24/7 challenges and hardships that are faced by those running the charity and those they call service users, guests or clients.
Worrying about money is perhaps something on all our minds right now, but never more so for charities such as Trevi House, which focuses on helping mothers who are recovering from addiction. Women who, without the charity, would perhaps not see their child so often, and be separated from them while they deal with addiction. Or women who might end up relapsing because they don’t have the support to see their recovery through to the end.
Trevi House is a charity that helps mothers recovering from addiction
Trevi House works with around 20 to 25 women a year, who, Hannah Shead, the CEO, says, “don’t often have a voice, and aren’t seen”. She hopes to change the way society reacts to mothers with addiction, refusing to let their stories go untold and stopping them falling through cracks in the system.
“A big part of our work is trying to break down the shame and stigma of addiction and recovery,” says Shead. The pressure to maintain that during lockdown – coupled with a refusal to let women down – was huge. “Closure was not an option, it was about how we kept our services going. We converted into a virtual women’s centre, and ran all our courses online. We had the phone line running,” she says, a clear defiance for any other option in her voice. It’s a stance that charity leaders take for the good of those they help.
Shead adds: “For women who are in immediate crisis, however, we have been offering face-to-face services in a safe environment – we have limited staff in the women’s centre to make sure people are there for those who need it. We’re using PPE and have reduced the footfall … it’s been tricky and continues to be tricky. But these people really need a service.”
Shead and her team are the winners of an annual award, the GSK IMPACT awards, which will see a £30,000 boost to their bank balances, along with nine other deserving UK charities. But the awards are about so much more than just the money – though they have given almost £7m to nearly 480 health and wellbeing organisations since they began in 1997. The recognition of the charities’ work does wonders for morale – for staff and service users – and gives hope for the future. For these charities, every penny will filter down to the ground level, where individuals that society might have disregarded are given another chance.
Shead says of the award: “It’s a message to the team that people care about the work we’re doing, and that it’s valued and important. I look at morale and it’s quite high. There is a real sense of purpose that ‘this is what we’re doing, and this is why we’re doing it’.
“Financial uncertainty is a big concern for lots of charities, but [winning] is about more than [the funding] – it’s about people saying: ‘We recognise the impact of the work you do, and we value it’. That really helps at the moment.”
The Lancashire charity Maundy Relief offers support to people in an area that has experienced much deprivation
Another winner who shares Shead’s drive to work with those that society has marginalised is Lucy Hardwick, manager at Maundy Relief. Maundy Relief is based in Accrington, east Lancashire, an area that has experienced much deprivation and poverty. “It has a strong community spirit, but times have been hard for some time now,” says Hardwick. “We offer wraparound support – people can come through our front door and tell us what’s going on with them.”
Maundy Relief offers everything from housing advice to a night shelter for rough sleepers. “360-degree support for people is at the centre of what we do. It starts with our service users, who we call guests rather than clients. They don’t have to fit in with particular criteria.
“We never say: ‘I’m sorry, you’ve got the wrong organisation.’ We can always do something. Often just listening is a big part of what we do.”
Staying open through the pandemic was a priority for Trevi House and Maundy Relief – despite the challenges of the lockdown measures.
Hardwick agrees that continuing to offer their guests support was non-negotiable. It’s a clear indicator of the tenacity that won both Maundy Relief and Trevi House an award each. Hardwick says: “The teams have been incredible in moving things online and to the phone. We do, however, still let people in [to our shelters] as, although everything has moved online and we are able to meet [many] needs digitally, not everyone has access. Not everyone can take in the information that way. So we never closed down completely.”
As well as a financial donation, the awards offer the winning charities the opportunity to join a training and development programme. They can also become part of the GSK IMPACT awards network, which offers ongoing support and is an opportunity to share experiences and expertise with charities that have won in previous years. For many, the award is a lifeline, and in the Covid-19 climate, even more so. The awards are run in partnership with The King’s Fund, an independent charitable organisation working to improve health and care in England.
The people supported by this year’s winning charities include rape and abuse victims, those with dementia, deaf children, and the homeless.
Themes that ring true for Trevi House and Maundy Relief also chime with the other winners – the common thread for the charities that have been honoured this year by the GSK IMPACT awards is that they work with people who society might have forgotten. The winners are working with people on a daily basis, in person, trying to make each day better. Every penny of the awards will help that work continue.
For these two charities, and the other eight winners, triumphs such as the GSK IMPACT awards are hard won, and deserve celebration. The awards offer valuable recognition, and the reassurance that the doors can remain open.
The winners in full
Trevi House and Maundy Relief join eight other awards winners in tackling a whole range of issues. Here is the complete list of those honoured in 2020:
Auditory Verbal – Helps deaf children learn to listen and talk so they can get an equal start at school.
Empire Fighting Chance – A Bristol-based charity, working to transform young lives through non-contact boxing.
Headway East London – Supports brain injury survivors, their families and carers.
Maundy Relief – Tackles poverty and helps those in need in Accrington.
New Pathways – Helps people who have experienced rape or sexual abuse across the south, west and mid-Wales.
Playlist for Life – Playlist for Life uses music to help improve the lives of people with dementia and their families across the UK.
Shantona Women’s & Family Centre – A Leeds-based charity empowering women and strengthening families in diverse communities.
Trevi House – A Plymouth-based charity helping mothers to recover from addiction without separating them from their children.
Vision Care for Homeless People – Offers eye tests and glasses to people who are homeless.
Yellow Door – Helps to improve the lives of people affected by domestic or sexual abuse across Hampshire.
Find out more about the GSK IMPACT awards and how all of this year’s winners have made a difference. And, if you’re interested in applying for an award in 2021, you can find out how to go about it.
