A charitable trust which operates partly in West Midlands is appealing for help to support its vulnerable residents during the current pandemic.
SJMT (Sir Josiah Mason Trust), which provides both safe, secure and affordable housing and residential care to over 300 vulnerable adults in the Solihull, Birmingham and Wolverhampton area, has launched its Emergency Coronavirus Appeal to help support residents’ needs in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the beginning of the self-isolation regulations, staff have been going above and beyond to meet the growing demand from residents, who are considered the most at-risk group of becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus.
Around 300 residents are currently having to isolate in their homes or within residential care settings, some with no access to the internet or family support, meaning they rely on SJMT staff visits and wellness-checks.
Staff have been supplying residents with food parcels and assisting those who cannot visit with their GPs, as well as providing much needed company to those who often don’t speak to a single other person.
David Healey, CEO for SJMT, said “We vitally need donations to help ensure we can continue to help those most in need in Solihull during this time of extreme uncertainty.
During this pandemic, our staff have been working extra hard, going beyond the call of duty on the front line and putting their own lives at risk every day to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of our vulnerable residents. Thanks to the services we are providing, we are helping to relieve pressures off the local NHS hospitals.
We have already been deeply affected by Covid-19 and we are extremely concerned about the 300 residents who we support, all of which are older people or vulnerable with underlying health conditions.”
One grateful resident said: “I don’t know how I’d cope without the support of SJMT at this time in the care home. My husband died 5 years ago and my family live overseas. I just couldn’t manage this without their help.”
Just £5 could help SJMT continue to give physical and emotional support to protect those most at risk from Covid-19.
All donations will go straight into an emergency fund, exclusively set up for supporting individuals most at risk, providing services such as food parcel delivery, staff visits and medical assistance.
All donations can be made through the website at www.sjmt.org.uk.
