Hundreds of defibrillators donated by housebuilder to help Covid-19 fightback BARRATT Developments Plc has donated 400 defibrillators from its sites across the UK to help in the fight against coronavirus. The company has donated the defibrillators, usually used on its construction sites, to St John Ambulance. Amongst the contribution are 22 defibrillators from Coalville-based David Wilson Homes East Midlands, which have been distributed to the health and first aid charity. St John Ambulance is now on the frontline supporting people and communities through coronavirus, helping to take the strain from the NHS. It has started a nationwide appeal – called Take the Strain - to source desperately needed equipment to help it in the vital role it is playing, including 1,000 defibrillators. Responding to the call for help, the country’s biggest housebuilder has committed to donating the defibrillators from all its sites - an estimated 400 worth more than £300,000. As part of its response to support the fight against coronavirus, Barratt Developments has also donated £100,000 to the NHS Charities Together appeal. NHS Charities Together supports 250 NHS charities across the UK collectively, giving money every day to the NHS so that people can stay well for longer and get better faster. It also plays a key role in mobilising volunteers to support NHS staff and support mental health, community health and ambulance trusts. These moves follow an earlier initiative last week from the housebuilder to donate personal protective items, including thousands of high quality FFP3 face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser, to local NHS hospitals and social care services across the country.
Simple loans welcome, but grants needed for post-lockdown recovery, says FMB THE CHANCELLOR’S announcement of a simple micro loan scheme shows that he has listened to the concerns of local builders who have struggled to access affordable finance during the lockdown, said the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). However, with many small to medium-sized (SME) construction sites still shut, an SME Support Fund that issues grants, instead of loans, is needed to help builders get back to business once lockdown ends. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “The Chancellor has listened to local builders’ concerns about cashflow, raised by the FMB, and brought forward a simple loan scheme for viable firms. This marks a positive step when just 4% of builders were able to acquire credit through previous schemes.” Berry concluded: “Cashflow is currently builders’ biggest headache because many construction sites remain shut. The combined challenges of accessing scarce materials, working safely in a client’s home, and protecting the health of the construction workforce, has left many firms unable to continue bringing income in. An SME Support Fund in England, and Northern Ireland, similar to the ones in Scotland and Wales, is needed to issue grants and ensure that these firms can hit the ground running post-lockdown. Builders, and the construction industry, will thrive if they are able to reinvest their profits back into the economy, rather than paying back a loan.”
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