COVID RESPONSE

Pandemic hero Steve Finbow

In 2020-21 we have

support calls made in response to COVID-19

staff members deployed to work from home

essential workers supported

customers accessing Spirit of Salford support

Focus on... Steve Finbow

Pandemic hero Steve Finbow, who devoted his time to volunteering while on furlough, was named Volunteer of the Year in the Spirit of Salford Community Awards 2021.

Steve is our business change project manager, but when he was placed on furlough last year he decided to put his spare time to good use and do his bit for the Covid-19 relief effort, volunteering at food poverty charity The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT).

Steve volunteered seven days a week, co-ordinating the other volunteers and sourcing donations. He also managed to grow the volunteering team from just a dozen when he first started to a 120-strong team operating 275 shifts a week.

During 2020, the Bread and Butter Thing delivered 3.2million meals to people in need.

We’re incredibly proud of Steve and the extraordinary effort he’s made to help families in desperate situations during the pandemic. His selfless commitment to supporting communities goes right to the heart of our values as an organisation and is a real testament to the kind of people who work here.

Focus on... Nikki Mcatamney

During the pandemic, our employees made more than 45,000 phone calls to some of our older and vulnerable tenants to check on their welfare.

Our property safety officer Nikki Mcatamney was one of 50 volunteers from amongst our workforce who were making 2,500 calls every week at the height of the lockdowns.

Amongst Nikki’s list of regular calls was 104-year-old Elsie Goodall who lives alone in Seedley and enjoyed sharing her memories with Nikki of her younger years spent attending dances with her friends and working at Hope Hospital.

Elsie said: “The calls with Nikki have been wonderful – it has made all the difference to me, just being able to hear someone else's voice.”

When it was Elsie’s birthday last year, Nikki arranged for an extra special delivery.

Nikki said: “I just thought that it would be a great idea if we could organise her a birthday card and some flowers for being such a delightful tenant and for reaching such a massive milestone. It was lovely to finally be able to meet her.

“During the pandemic, her spirit was delightful. In fact, I would go so far as to say I think she cheered me up more than I did her.”

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