Direct Line Group donates £250,000 to Mind
In April, Direct Line Group announced a Community Fund designating £3.5m to provide immediate support to people in need throughout the UK. As part of that fund, Direct Line Group has announced donations of £100,000 to Mind’s Infoline and £150,000 to the charity’s emergency fund.
Vicky Wallis, Chief People Officer at Direct Line Group, said: “We had pledged to raise £100,000 for Mind’s Infoline through colleague fundraising in 2020 but due to the pandemic, all on-site fundraising activity was cancelled. At a time when anxiety and isolation were as abundant as the virus itself, we knew it was the right thing to do to fulfil our commitment.
Wallis continues: “In addition, to our £100,000 annual pledge, we have made a further donation of £150,000 to support Mind’s key services. This could enable Mind to keep the Infoline open and running for 1,215 hours.”
As the pandemic set in, Mind quickly saw an increase in the number of people seeking help from their services as anxiety and fear worsen pre-existing mental health issues and create anxiety in those previously unaffected. Within a few weeks of lockdown, there had already been 500,000 views of Mind’s Coronavirus and Your Wellbeing page, without any promotion.
Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind, said: “We know that the coronavirus and its impact are still causing stress and worry for many people. If people already have a mental health problem, it’s possible that the worries of coronavirus may be affecting how people are coping.
Buckley explains: “Although we didn’t see an immediate uplift in calls, approximately 2,000 per week, we saw a change in the type of callers and the nature of enquiry. Calls are taking longer as we answer legal enquiries about coronavirus and the Mental Health Act. Many people already experiencing mental health problems are calling to find out about continuing to access medication and families are worried about the support available to them and their loved ones.
“The potential mental side effects of separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, financial uncertainty and boredom are continuing to affect people. Together we can reach hundreds of thousands of people, helping to keep them safe and informed. Due to the changing nature of this crisis, we’ve needed to act quickly and efficiently to protect and enhance the support we provide at a national and local level.
“We are incredibly grateful for Direct Line Group’s continued support over the last two years and want to thank them again for the impact their fundraising has already had on our ability to deliver our services.”
ENDS
For more information please contact
Claire Foster
Direct Line Group
07901 104 615
Direct Line Insurance Group plc
Direct Line Group is headquartered in Bromley. Through its number of well-known brands the Group offers a wide range of general insurance products to consumers.
These brands include Direct Line, Churchill and Privilege. The Group also provides insurance services for third parties through its partnership’s division, Direct Line Group Partnerships. In the commercial sector, the Group's NIG and Direct Line for Business operations offer insurance products for businesses distributed through brokers or direct, respectively.