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And Finally Artist News
Ellie Goulding leads campaign to distribute phones to homeless in order stay connected during COVID-19 outbreak
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 16 April 2020
Ellie Goulding and her management company TaP Music have teamed up with homelessness charity Crisis and tel co EE to distribute 400 mobile phones to homeless people. Each will come loaded with £20 of data to help those in need stay connected during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We’re all worried about coronavirus, but people who are homeless are particularly exposed to and threatened by the pandemic”, says Goulding. “Over the last few weeks we have seen an unprecedented and phenomenal effort to rehouse people sleeping rough by the government, local authorities and homelessness charities, but I have remained very worried about how many people will still need support. I’ve been determined to help keep them connected”.
Chief exec of Crisis, Jon Sparkes, adds: “The coronavirus pandemic is reminding us all how much we need connections with others, and we are relying on our phones and computers to stay in touch. But many people facing homelessness don’t have a phone or access to the internet. As the outbreak has unfolded, we have spoken to people who have felt profoundly anxious and alone, unable to get hold of information or stay connected”.
“Vital work has been done to move thousands of people into hotel rooms from the streets or from night shelters – but we need to ensure people continue to receive the support they need”, he continues. “By giving people phones, charities like Crisis can stay in touch and provide services such as advice, help with accessing benefits, and health and wellbeing support”.
As well as announcing the initiative to distribute hundreds of phones, Goulding is also urging the public to donate to Crisis’s In This Together Homelessness Emergency Fund, set up in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Being able to stay connected may help to ward off isolation, but it will also help Crisis continue to deliver the check-in calls and wellbeing catchups that we know are a lifeline”, she says. “I know phone and digital access will make a difference in this emergency, but we still need more phones, and more support. There is huge unmet need everywhere at the moment, including funding for charities like Crisis on the frontline. I urge anybody who can to support the In This Together campaign”.
Find out more about the In This Together campaign and donate here.
