Not-for-profit organisation Efficiency North Holdings Limited were delighted that Leeds City Council chose local homeless charity St George’s Crypt as the beneficiary of £13k accrued for the benefit of local communities through their work with the social housing consortium.
Efficiency North introduced a new Social Value policy in 2019 to empower their social housing landlord members to have a closer involvement in channelling the consortium’s surplus into their local communities to align with their own local strategies for social mobility.
Through their engagement in the consortium’s procurement frameworks for repairs, maintenance and new build housing, all member landlords can select from 3 options to gift their share of Efficiency North’s surplus: employment opportunities in their own organisation; employment opportunities through EN’s frameworks for housing repairs, maintenance and new build; and investment in dedicated community projects.
Leeds City Council and St Georges Crypt have enjoyed a long partnership, formed when the Crypt was established in 1930, at a time of national destitution. It therefore felt right for the Council to nominate the Crypt for Efficiency North to make the grant of £13,000 in the current Covid-19 pandemic, which has had a similar impact on the national and local economies.
Since Covid-19 hit St George’s Crypt has had to move their sit down lunch service to a back door take-away service, moved 33 residents from their dormitories into safe and suitable accommodation in partnership with Leeds City Council, rapidly learnt new IT skills to offer zoom recovery meetings for their drug/alcohol rehabilitation service and developed existing and new partnerships to meet the rising need.
Chris Fields, CEO of St George’s Crypt said: “This donation will really help us deliver the extended service that we have been providing since Covid-19 forced us to change the way we operate. We are offering meals from our back door to close to 50 people a day, still providing all our accommodation services, mental health support, counselling, and drug/alcohol rehabilitation. We are working with a range of other partners offering them food to support other vulnerable populations. We are forging new relationships across the city – the city is pulling together and showing a real Dunkirk spirit!
We are having to cope with all our shops and cafés being closed and all our major summer events being postponed or cancelled so this donation is especially welcome – thank you!”
Councillor Debra Coupar, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Communities, Leeds City Council said, “The council is extremely proud of how it is collaborating with the voluntary sector in Leeds to support those living in the city in this extraordinary current times. The offer of some money from Efficiency North an organisation that works with social housing, felt right for St George’s Crypt. During the Covid pandemic St Georges Crypt has been hit by a reduction in its fundraising whilst at the same time, having greater expense at supporting homeless people.”
Lee Parkinson, Chief Executive of Efficiency North said, “Efficiency North is proud to support voluntary sector organisations such as St George’s Crypt who are providing an essential service to support the most vulnerable people in society. The exemplary work they’ve been doing to support Leeds’ communities for nearly a century is even more vital at this time.”