SIKH HELPLINE COVID-19 FUNDRAISER – “MILES FOR PPE” CHALLENGE
Go the extra mile with the Sikh Helpline!
In this current time, we at the Sikh Helpline are seeing an increased volume of calls as the country is in lockdown and isolation. Callers have reported cases related to a range of issues including domestic abuse, substance addiction, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The Sikh Helpline continues to work with the local services to ensure all cases are dealt with and that those in need of help and support at this time continue to have a platform to reach out to, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
With the government advice against non-essential travel and gatherings of any size, we’re expecting events this year to be cancelled, which include our Birmingham to Scotland Charity Bike Ride. So, we are launching a new isolation lockdown challenge to allow us all to play a part in limiting the spread of COVID-19, and to also help in getting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to our local community and our healthcare heroes. Healthcare workers are front line fighters against COVID-19, but are facing critical shortages of Personal Protective Equipment nationwide.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions and government lockdown, the Sikh Helpline’s new fundraiser will be: “Miles for PPE Challenge.”
Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands, said:
“The Sikh Helpline’s annual bike ride is a staple of charity fundraising calendar, but the move this year is to use the money raised to help frontline workers in the fight against Coronavirus is extraordinarily generous”.
“Clearly the Bimimgham to Scotland ride cannot happen because of government restrictions, but I would urge everyone to get involved in the new Miles for PPE Challenge, which will take place at home or as part of people’s permitted one outdoor daily exercise.”
The Sikh Helpline’s Miles for PPE Challenge will be asking the public to take their bikes (indoors or outdoors) and to begin pedaling as part of this fundraising campaign, or if you don’t own a bike, you can choose to walk or run your miles – all your efforts will be recorded and will go towards our target. You can take part individually, in isolation or as a team if you are isolating with friends and family. Outdoor miles will need to follow the government advice relating to the permitted daily hourly outdoor exercise.
There is no minimum fundraising requirement and anything that you raise will make a real difference. We will support the set-up of fundraising pages ( Every Day Hero ) to help you to alert others of the challenge and to start your contribution your donations to this challenge.
We will be operating a 100% donation policy where all funds raised from the Sikh Helpline Miles for PPE Challenge will be used to buy vital PPE equipment for our Healthcare workers, including staff working in hospitals, care homes, hospices and anyone else in need.
Nicola Richards, Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East, said:
“We’re living through one of the worst crises our country has faced in a generation, from their work coordinating the delivery of food parcels to vulnerable people; to offering emotional support and comfort to that self-isolating, Sikh Helpline are truly leading from the front in this fight back against Coronavirus”.
“I fully support Sikh Helpline’s ‘Miles for PPE Challenge’ and my thanks go out to everyone involved in helping to provide our heroes on the front line of the NHS with this extra protective kit. These donations will bring a boost to the national PPE effort as we look to tackle the complex challenges of securing extra PPE kit for our doctors and nurses amid global shortages.”
Do you fancy taking on this challenge? Start pedaling, running or walking and begin logging your miles. We have set a target of 1262 miles, this will be a collective target of the miles logged by all participants. We have chosen 1262 miles as this is the number of hospitals in the UK (Including all new facilities purpose built to tackle COVID-19).
Join the Sikh Helpline Virtual Miles for PPE Challenge and together let’s go the extra mile to raise funds to distribute PPE equipment where it is most needed. This event will be running from Friday 8th May to 24th May 2020. Register to take part and to begin logging miles at www.sikhhelpline.com/ppe
The Sikh Helpline team will publish daily totals and will be on hand via the phone and our social media pages to support you.
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