Tesco helps Dacorum Community Trust support vulnerable residents during the Covid-19 pandemic

Dacorum Community Trust has been supporting vulnerable neighbours in the local community during the pandemic with the help of the Tesco Community Grants initiative.

The small, independent charity, based in Hemel Hempstead, provides practical support for those that cannot access help from the public or voluntary sector and have nowhere else to turn.

Clients may experience a combination of issues including homelessness, domestic violence, mental and physical ill-health, addiction, debt or extreme poverty.

Dacorum Community Trust helps to resolve immediate crises by providing living essentials, energy vouchers and collaborating with other agencies for support, preventing escalation to emergency services.

Through Tesco’s Covid-19 Community fund, the retailer provided a one-off £500 payment in a bid to provide emergency relief to local community groups and organisations struggling with isolation over lockdown. This has helped the trust buy vital equipment.

Dena Tyler, trust manager, said: “Since the outbreak of Covid-19, DCT has experienced a sharp rise in our number of clients. Between April and December 2020, we dealt with 532 clients, which was a 114 per cent rise on the previous year.

“The Tesco Covid-19 fund has proved invaluable, especially during the lockdowns. Many clients were experiencing fear and isolation and were unable to leave their homes.

"Some of our clients had no facility to cook hot meals and were without essential household items. The Tesco fund contributed to the purchase of mini ovens, essential bedding and kitchen starter packs which were delivered directly to their homes.

“We encountered long delays in delivery times with the standard cookers in the initial lockdown, therefore the Tesco Covid-19 fund was extremely helpful as we were able to purchase mini ovens to ensure people did not go without hot meals whilst they were waiting.”

Keith Jackson, communications manager at Tesco, said: “We are proud to be able to support groups such as the Dacorum Community Trust, who work incredibly hard to help those in need.

"We’re pleased to provide an urgent cash boost in order for them to go on providing local people with vital services."