giffgaff launches ‘goodybank’ in response to COVID-19 crisis

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A campaign by giffgaff

giffgaff, the mobile network run by you, has launched ‘goodybank’ - a brand new initiative to help local communities in Britain and members of the giffgaff community facing hardship during this difficult time.

Founded on giffgaff’s principles of community and choice, the goodybank allows members to help in two distinct ways. The first is through a hardship fund for giffgaff members.

Over the past few weeks, giffgaff has already been and will continue to support vulnerable members, many of whom have contacted the mobile phone network as a result of the current crisis.

Acknowledging that its members are passionate about supporting each other, the goodybank will now allow members to purchase additional credit in the form of minutes, texts or data that will then be donated directly to other members facing hardship who need it. giffgaff has committed to matching donations made by members.

As phones become increasingly important throughout COVID-19 and for many the only means of communication with the outside world, giffgaff and its members want to ensure that everyone stays connected.

Ash Schofield, CEO of giffgaff commented, “At giffgaff we have always had community at our heart and never has a sense of community been more important. We are already helping vulnerable members, many of whom contacted us as a result of the current crisis and will continue to do so. However, our members are an altruistic bunch, and the goodybank allows them to get involved should they be able to help. Even if we’re far apart, we want people to know they can ask for help and someone will always be there to offer that help and keep them connected.”

giffgaff has pledged £75,000 to the Neighbourly Community fund

The second option within goodybank is for members to make a donation directly to a Neighbourly Community fund. Neighbourly is an award-winning giving platform that helps businesses make a positive impact in their communities by donating volunteer time, money and surplus products, all in one place.

The partnership with Neighbourly maximises the amount of people giffgaff can help at a local level and guarantees that the right people in communities will be given the help and support they need.

A recent study from Neighbourly showed that many of the charities they worked with were worried about the closure of normal services like lunch clubs for the elderly and emergency food parcels. The study also found that many charities would expect to support an average of 177 people per week in the community with emergency provisions including food and basic essentials, much of which will require delivery.

Alongside goodybank, giffgaff has also made access to NHS websites free of charge for every giffgaff member.