Industry charity, GroceryAid, experienced a 61% increase in instances of welfare support for colleagues last year, according to its recently launched Impact Report.
The report also details a 98% increase in the number of Relate counselling sessions delivered in 2021, and a 101% increase in legal advice referrals. The GroceryAid Welfare Team also dealt with an average of 744 applications for financial support per month, a rise of more than 150% compared to the previous year.
The increase in demand for the GroceryAid’s services is the result of an unprecedented year of challenges and an increase in awareness of the charity. According to the report, issues such as illness, the need to shield, home school, care for loved ones, spiralling bills and bereavement have impacted industry colleagues’ wellbeing, finances and availability to work.
Throughout last year, GroceryAid has also ran several awareness campaigns to raise the charity’s profile throughout the industry, from shop floor through to head office, ensuring more colleagues are aware of the support available to them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In April of this year, more than 220 companies took part in its annual GA Day campaign: #LetsTalkGroceryAid.
Allan Leighton, GroceryAid President, commented: “In the past year, GroceryAid has provided more emotional, practical and financial support than ever before in its 165-year history. Our industry is still feeling the fallout from the pandemic. As employers take admirable steps to protect colleagues from the emotional and economic aftermath of Covid, we are helping record numbers cope with the unforeseen changes to their personal circumstances. This year’s Impact Report outlines how we are using the generous donations of our supporters to improve the lives of our colleagues across the industry.”
