£20,000 raised in support of local communities hit by pandemic.
An appeal launched by Birmingham-based charity LoveBrum, to support local causes delivering specific COVID-19 related help, has hit the £20,000 mark.
LoveBrum’s #OneBrum campaign was launched in early April, in response to the pandemic to help raise vital funds for local causes and unite the city, as it faces challenging times.
The appeal has temporarily replaced LoveBrum’s regular monthly rounds of funding, targeting a number of local causes delivering specific COVID-19 related initiatives, as well as helping LoveBrum to continue its own work.
After just two months, funding has already been sent to Beyond The Horizon, which helps children, young people and families who have been affected by loss, bereavement, divorce or separation; the As-Suffa Trust, which is sending up to 100 food 
parcels a day to the vulnerable, elderly and NHS staff; Ladywood Helpers, a group of charity organisations, community projects, anti-poverty groups, foodbanks, churches and primary schools, which is providing advice, support and food parcels to those most affected by the pandemic; and Inspiration Support, a volunteer led group supporting Birmingham’s homeless community by providing food and vital supplies.
Jenny Graham, CEO, Beyond the Horizon Charity, said: “When the lockdown first happened our primary concern was how our therapists could continue to support the children we work with who had already experienced bereavement, trauma and loss, when all of our work was out in the community, face to face.
“By choosing to support us, LoveBrum has helped us to make this happen. We are able to continue to provide therapeutic support to children and young people and their families online and by telephone and by sending therapeutic and play resources. We have had to change and adapt to meet the needs of children and families in these unprecedented times. We had no budget to do this which is why the support of LoveBrum is so important to us.
“Families tell us how much the children value their online sessions. For some families bereaved before the pandemic, their opportunity to heal together and recover has been impacted by the need to stay at home and away from others, away from school and away from their usual support networks. Being able to continue our work with them feels more important now than ever.
“We have also had to respond to families who didn’t have enough food, providing basic goods for them whilst they were waiting for support from local food banks. We have sent play packs to children, basic things like paper, pens and playdoh so that children can play and create, and parents have expressed such gratitude for these.
“We are obviously also working hard planning how we can respond to those bereaved and affected by domestic abuse during the pandemic. As our face to face work gradually resumes over the next few months we will again be finding new ways of doing this so that we can do it safely.
“On behalf of all of the children that Beyond the Horizon Charity supports we would like to thank the supporters of LoveBrum over the last couple of months.”
Paul Mitchell, executive director at LoveBrum, commented: “We’re over the moon to have raised such a fantastic amount for the vital causes we’re supporting during these unprecedented times.
“It’s wonderful to see people pulling together to help each other out, from running a solo 10k and virtual quiz nights to ordering watercolour postcards depicting our magnificent city, we’re so proud of the support Birmingham has shown. Thank you to everyone that has donated so far – and please continue to support us and help those most in need.”
OneBrum has a simple premise; everyone in Birmingham is being asked to do just two things; donate £1 to support the work happening right now in Birmingham to support local communities, and do one thing locally to help – whether that’s phoning someone in isolation or completing a shopping drop to a vulnerable person.
You can also donate £1 via JustGiving, or text ONEBRUM to 70085 to donate £1.
To get involved with #OneBrum, go to www.lovebrum.org.uk or follow LoveBrum on social: @lovebrum.
