Half a dozen UK wealth firms have joined forces to raise money for the National Health Service (NHS), as it continues to struggle with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The companies have agreed to donate £10,000 ($12,473, €11,477) each to support healthcare staff as part of the Critical NHS initiative.
The firms involved are:
- JM Finn;
- Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management;
- Waverton Investment Management;
- Tilney;
- Brown Shipley; and
- River & Mercantile.
Industry’s helping hand
Rory Scott, managing director at SPS Financial Recruitment, and a group of friends set up Critical NHS to provide food to front line doctors and nurses, and it has now managed to donate 500 meals a day covering the three daily shifts for hospital workers.
He said: “Not being able to sit and do nothing during the covid-19 pandemic was hard enough, but then learning that the hospital staff were suffering, made it harder.
“The food outlets in the hospital had closed and when the doctors and nurses finished their shifts, there was no food in the supermarkets. These NHS staff were going to go hungry if we didn’t do something to help.
“Being a specialist recruiter in the wealth industry, I thought we could ask the leading players to help us with much needed funds.
“I then discovered that Charles Bathurst-Norman, one of our volunteers, worked at JM Finn and between us, we’ve contacted a lot of the industry and been delighted by the response.”
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital and the newly created Nightingale Hospital in Excel conference centre in London have requested Critical NHS’ help.
Middle Eastern support
Outside the UK, other firms are also going the extra mile to support those struggling with the effects of coronavirus.
Zurich International Life in the Middle East has set up alternative ways to help its customers, such as tele-interviews with medical staff and payment flexibility.
Clients will be able to undergo a complete medical screening through a video interview with a medical practitioner to meet the requirements of their life insurance policies.
On top of that, Zurich is allowing a three-month grace period from the date premium payments are due; and has created an online community, called Z-One, where the general public and its customers can provide feedback on the outbreak of covid-19.
Walter Jopp, chief executive of Zurich Middle East, said: “In the current quarantine environment, the health and safety of our customers and employees are our first priority.
“This telephone health assessment service offers customers in the UAE an opportunity to undergo the life insurance application process from their home without the threat of physical contact and any potential exposure to covid-19.”
