Northern Ireland

Gryphon Programme

In April, Barclays announced a £100m Community Aid Package to support charities that are helping people and communities most impacted by COVID-19. £10m of this funding has been donated through their 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme, with Groundwork NI being one of 100 UK charities receiving a donation of £100k.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the ability of Groundwork NI to deliver its community development and regeneration work.  In response, the charity reviewed its programmes and pivoted its support so that its vital assistance could continue.  In response the Groundwork NI team has been using new and innovative delivery channels to provide gardens in a box to peoples’ homes and engaging with participants and delivering horticultural training through new technologies.  It was this proactive meaningful work that impressed Barclays.

The donation of £100k from Barclays will provide horticulture, resilience and mental health first aid training for unemployed young men who have been impacted by COVID-19. The men will learn how to grow their own food and gain a qualification that will improve their employability.  They will also build Growing Kits and distribute them to households in their communities that are facing hardship due to COVID-19.

Cara Cash-Marley, CEO of Groundwork NI, said:

This support from Barclays is so exciting for us and of course for those who will benefit from the program.  We are very grateful for the support and hope this is the first of many times we get to work with Barclays.

Adrian Doran, Head of Barclays NI, said:

This crisis has had an unprecedented impact across Northern Ireland and we know this is an incredibly challenging time for many communities. By reaching those most in need of support, local charities, such as Groundwork NI, have played a vital role in this crisis.  At Barclays we are doing everything we can for our customers, clients and colleagues to help them through this pandemic.  We hope that the donations we are making to charities like Groundwork NI will allow them to amplify their vital work and support more people as the crisis develops.

 

The people in the photo are: Adrian Doran, Head of Barclays NI and Cara Cash-Marley, CEO Groundwork NI.

If you are interested in signing up for the Gryphon Programme, please contact Rachel Toner at 07943 394434 or email racheltoner@groundworkni.co.uk.