Whilst this week has bought fresh hope for the end of lockdown, health warnings over the risk of a second wave have stressed the need to persevere in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
As individuals we all have our part to play, but some financial organisations have continued to go above and beyond in playing their part in this crucial fight.
Aegon UK, for instance, has donated supplies to a number of NHS hospitals across the UK as they continue to undertake crucial work to protect and save lives, in addition to having previously donated around £250,000 to various charities in aid of the coronavirus relief effort.
With the help of its catering and facilities partner, Aramark, the firm has donated crates of cold drinks, snacks, chocolate, and hand creams to hospitals in Peterborough, Colchester, Salford, Chelmsford, and Edinburgh, as well as specific items, such as sugar sachets, where requested by the hospitals.
In London, Aegon continued to work with its existing local charity partner, London Air Ambulance Service, who in turn shared the donated goods with the Royal Hospital London.
Easements around social distancing measures have begun and this has already seen some firms ‘step up’ their part in the fight against the pandemic.
Schroders for example, have sponsored the UK’s first ‘behind-closed doors’ tennis tournament, with the aim of raising a minimum of £100,000 for NHS Charities together.
The Battle of the Brits tournament, which started yesterday, brings together some of the country’s best tennis players, such as Andy and Jamie Murray, Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund.
This is in addition to the £3.8m already raised by the firm in support of the most vulnerable people impacted by the coronavirus ahead of the launch of the tournament.
These funds were raised by the Schroders' 5,110 employees through the #CollectiveAction campaign, an employee-led initiative which encouraged colleagues to donate and fund raise, underpinned by an option for employees to donate a proportion of their salary, which would be matched by the firm.
This also saw Schroders’ directors donate 25 per cent of their pay for a three month period in March, while executive directors also contributed a portion of their variable pay.
But with so many employees working tirelessly to support those in need amid the current crisis, some firms have focused on how they can support these employees themselves, stressing the impact that lockdown has had on everyone.
Mercer has launched a new app, which helps employees to create and maintain healthy habits that improve their physical, mental, social, and financial wellbeing.
The app utilises gamification techniques to ‘nudge’ individuals to engage with new and existing benefit offerings in a fun way, based on personality and behaviour data.
The firm stressed that the current environment had seen wellbeing "depleted", with limited social interaction and potential financial strains.
As such, it emphasised that "it is now more important than ever" that employers take "authentic and sustainable" action to help people stay healthy and motivated.











Recent Stories