Les Amis receives £42,000 for emergency Covid-19 support

Les Amis has received two grants from the Roy Overland Charitable Trust and Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands worth £21,000 each, providing vital support for the charity and the costs incurred during Covid-19.

Les Amis cares for a total of 86 residents across 33 houses who require either 24-hour residential or domiciliary care. Throughout the pandemic, the charity made the decision to continue paying its staff even if they were advised to self-isolate due to age or a pre-existing health condition, as well as changing and extending its sickness policy to cover colleagues for self-isolation and extended illness. With staff shortages, it was necessary to employ more people on temporary contracts to cover the multiple shift requirements in order to continue caring for residents.

As well as providing practical support, the mental health and wellbeing of residents and staff is a priority for Les Amis. Therefore, the charity appointed a mental health nurse to provide essential, emotional support to ensure the mental wellbeing of residents and staff is being looked after during these challenging times.

Due to Les Amis not being eligible for the government’s Co-Funded Payroll Scheme and with all fundraising activities postponed, the charity has been relying solely on the generous donations of islanders and organisations.

Janet Wilson, Trustee at the Roy Overland Charitable Trust, said: “We recognise that charities have been hit hard during the pandemic and funding is vital for them to continue operating. As part of the Funders Group that is supporting local charities as a direct result of the Covid-19 health emergency, we are delighted to be able to provide this financial support to Les Amis. We hope it will assist the charity going forward in the valuable work it does.”

Jo Le Poidevin, Executive Director of Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, said: “The aim of our Foundation is to work in partnership with the eligible charities through grants, mentoring and training. We understand the number of challenges that Covid-19 has caused and will continue to present over the coming months and years for the island’s community. We also recognise that charities will be even more crucial in providing practical and emotional support in these unprecedented times. We are proud to offer this grant to Les Amis and hope it enables them to focus on delivering vital support for their residents and staff.”

Shaun Findlay, Managing Director of Les Amis, said: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Roy Overland Charitable Trust and Lloyds Bank Foundation for their invaluable support during this time. As a result of Covid-19, all organisations are having to make tough decisions every day to continue operating. The funding will help us to move forward in providing a quality of life for our residents and continue supporting our staff. Charities have been hit particularly hard due to the pandemic and we are grateful for the continued support of islanders and organisations to help us through these challenging times.”

To make a donation to Les Amis, please do so here.