ELITE Supported Employment Agency is one of 250 UK charities to be awarded a £100k donation from Barclays which will help them to continue supporting disabled and disadvantaged people seek employment or maintaining their jobs post pandemic.

Charities were invited to apply for donations of £100,000, and Barclays were inundated by hundreds of applications from charities across the UK who are struggling to deliver on-the-ground support to vulnerable communities impacted by the crisis.

Barclays launched their 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme to support COVID-19 relief work in local communities. The programme, which forms part of their wider COVID-19 Community Aid Package, focuses on supporting UK charity partners who are meeting the immediate needs of people in our communities, including low income families, those facing financial hardship, isolated elderly people and key workers.

ELITE Supported Employment Agency supports disabled and disadvantage people to access, obtain and maintain employment, through a range of activities aimed at helping them gain confidence, skills and independence. During the pandemic, all their face to face activities had to be stopped, meaning vital support for disabled and/or disadvantaged people had to be delivered in a different way.

For a number of months, all of ELITE’s activities had to be delivered via online sessions. However not everyone had access to equipment, or the knowledge of how to access the software relating to video conferencing (from Facebook to Zoom).

Through the support of the Barclays fund, not only can ELITE continue to offer service virtually but we can also support individuals development in the use of this technology, so it becomes a standard form of communication for them. This will aid them in their vocational aspirations for training, volunteering and paid employment, crucial during such uncertain times where lockdowns are intermittent.

The charity recognises how crucial it’s contact and support is for people with disabilities and/or disadvantage. During the pandemic many individuals experience a deterioration in the mental and physical well-being due to shielding, isolation and job losses. The funding from Barclays will enable ELITE to continue it’s services, implementing specialist support to enable individuals recovery or maintenance of their health and well-being, via a blended approach.

Specialist staff will engage with 100+ individuals, enabling them to re-engage with their communities, raising soft skills and confidence, alongside independence levels. Our goals are to reassure people and develop their skills in being covid safe, enabling people to undertake supported work placements, volunteering, training and employment via one to one support.

Andrea Wayman, CEO, ELITE SEA said:

At ELITE Supported Employment Agency, we empower disabled & disadvantaged people to achieve their aspirations of employment. More than 500 people need our support at present. The impact of the coronavirus has left the charity facing the need for adaptions to our services, create an even better, more inclusive impact for our participants. Our priority is to develop our digital delivery program to run alongside our traditional face to face deliveries, ensuring that disabled and/or disadvantaged people, no matter where they are in Wales, or where they are on their community journey, are able to benefit from this new program. The Barclays donation is providing us with a lifeline that will make it possible for us to continue to be there for disabled and/or disadvantaged people at a time when they need us more than ever before.

Nigel Higgins, Barclays Chairman, said:

Our 100×100 charity partners have been working tirelessly to support vulnerable communities across the UK through what has been a difficult year. These charities have championed a range of causes, including tackling homelessness, food poverty or loneliness, and we are immensely grateful for their work in the communities in which we live and work.

While we are starting to emerge from the most acute stage of the crisis, the effects of the pandemic will continue to be felt by many. Our decision to extend our 100×100 Programme for a second time reflects this, allowing Barclays to support 250 UK grassroots charities in their crucial work in our local communities.

Welcoming the £100,000 to ELITE Supported Employment in Llantrisant, Mick Antoniw MS said:

ELITE Supported Employment do fantastic work in our community, so I am delighted that they have been awarded this significant grant from Barclay’s Covid-19 Community Relief Programme.

People with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are amongst those facing the greatest challenges post-covid as for example, they search for employment or simply seek to re-establish themselves their community.

The help and advice provided by ELITE and in particular, the one-to-one specialist support, is invaluable in helping people to regain confidence and tackle the financial, housing and employment challenges ahead.

I congratulate ELITE on securing this funding and wish them every success for the future.

As a result of ELITE’s interventions, it is envisaged that it will impact more than 90% of individuals in terms of soft skills and personal development, with 30% experiencing supported placements, 40% experience volunteering, 70% gaining skills through training, and 10% entering or re-entering paid employment. In light of this, ELITE anticipate that 75% of people will have increased their independence, with 30% reducing their dependence on statutory services, and 75% regaining or improving their community integration

To find out more about ELITE Supported Employment, please visit www.elitesea.co.uk