Canary Wharf Group Supporting Local Communities through Covid-19 Pandemic – 27.04.20

Initiatives to assist the NHS, key workers and charitable organisations during this difficult time

• Over £138,000 in grants for charities providing vital services including:
  • £50,000 donation to the East End Community Foundation Covid-19 Emergency Fund for local people in Tower Hamlets
  • £20,000 to Lighthouse Club for its Construction Workers Family Crisis Appeal.
• Support for staff to return to previous frontline roles
• Free car parking available for NHS workers and construction workers to aid safer travel

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to put a strain on members of local communities, key workers and the NHS, Canary Wharf Group has introduced a series of initiatives to help ease the burden on frontline workers and vulnerable local residents.

Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has donated £50,000 to the East End Community Foundation (EECF) Emergency Fund where funds will be used to match grants given to support organisations in Tower Hamlets, including foodbanks, charities and elder groups who are supporting older, isolated or vulnerable local people. This has now raised over £325,000. One of the first grantees is Docklands Settlement who act as a community hub for the homeless and local residents.

Smaller charities providing vital services in the local east London community have also benefited from grants from CWG which now total over £138,000. This includes 10 local primary schools to support the most vulnerable students and their families; Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours where monies used to help train new volunteers to increase their capacity to support isolated people, and the Queen Victoria Seamans Rest to cover the cost for urgent supplies of personal protective equipment.

Assisting appeals for former NHS staff to return to frontline services, CWG is supporting three of its security staff who have returned to their previous roles at the London Ambulance Service to help the emergency services during this critical time. Now back at their original places of work in Bow and Waterloo, one emergency call handler and CWG employee, Louise Jordan, has already assisted a couple in delivering a baby at home before paramedics were able to arrive.

To help maintain social distancing in the community, free parking has been made available at Canary Wharf for NHS workers and construction workers

To further support the great work that the NHS, the top of One Canada Square tower has been lit up in blue and can be seen shining through the skyline of the Capital.

Canary Wharf malls have stayed open for essential shopping and increased cleaning processes have been implemented to keep customers and staff as safe as possible. Other essential services, such as building maintenance for tenants, has continued to operate to ensure the people of the area are protected and well prepared.

Other measures to protect the safety of residents, customers and staff include collaborating with Transport for London to minimise unnecessary travel on public transport, in addition to working with supply chains and local businesses to help them through these difficult times.

CWG has also made a donation of £20,000 to the Lighthouse Club for its Construction Workers Family Crisis Appeal.

Shobi Khan, CEO, Canary Wharf Group said: “We recognise the impact that Covid-19 is having on our local communities and we are committed to supporting them through this challenging time. We have worked for many years to support our local communities and this support is needed more than ever.” 

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Press Office
Canary Wharf Group plc
T: 020 7418 2166
E: pressoffice@canarywharf.com