The compounding economic effects of Covid, Brexit and the current situation in Ukraine are really being felt by many here in the United Kingdom.
Soaring energy costs and an explosion in the basic cost of living are placing crippling financial demands on ‘everyday’ families, causing severe food poverty and driving many to turn to food banks simply to make ends meet.
Another impact of the changing economic landscape is that people are increasingly feeling isolated in the community. Lockdowns and the move towards home working; the breaking down of the ‘extended’ family unit; the fact that we are generally living longer; and with countless having to move away or live alone to find work, many are leading far more insular and lonely lives.
That is why staff at the Aberdeen facilities of electrical engineering company Quartzelec have rallied together with colleagues from across the country to support the Trussell Trust and help combat these social and economic issues in an endeavor to build an inclusive and hunger free future for everyone.
Looking locally TLC, an Aberdeen based charity, working in partnership with the Trussell Trust, is supporting the local community with its Befriending Project and Foodbank initiatives, and a spokesperson for the charity said:
“Everyone can feel lonely and isolated at times, especially if experiencing hardship. We created the Befriending initiative in April 2021 to work with those affected by the crippling effects of loneliness and isolation. Our aim is to be a beacon of hope, providing a lifeline to people, in the form of friendship but also be a helping hand to reconnect to the community, bringing joy and passion back into people’s lives.
We are also helping a growing number of families by providing basic and essential groceries. However, to achieve this we are heavily dependent on charitable support, so we are grateful to the staff from Quartzelec who recently donated financially and gave a massive 197kg of food. This generosity is greatly appreciated as we could not deliver these services if it weren't for the support of individuals and businesses like them.”
Speaking about Quartzelec’s ongoing charitable initiatives, Aberdeen based Colin Nicol, added: “My colleagues at Quartzelec have certainly embraced the challenge and are doing all they can to raise funds and organize food collections in support of this worthwhile charity. Most recently, teams based in Hamilton, Liverpool, Aberdeen, and at the Rugby headquarters all got involved with the TeaForTrussell fundraising concept; organizing tea and cake in exchange for cash donations to support their local foodbanks. Our teams collectively raised over £500 from this event alone and specifically Quartzelec staff in Aberdeen incorporated a raffle within their event which helped boost the overall contribution.”
So, if you also want to make a positive contribution to the local community why not speak to one of the Quartzelec team at the next Chamber meeting either about the safety and viability of your on and off-shore electrical installations or about how you could also get involved in local charitable causes. For more information either contact Quartzelec on 01234 567890 visit www.quartzelec.com or engage directly with TLC Aberdeen by visiting www.tlc.org.uk/ or email them at info@tlc.org.uk