COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Response

The following statements provide information regarding Gatsby's response to the COVID-19 crisis:

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14 April 2020 - Life Lines - Keeping Families Connected 

Gatsby and the True Colours Trust have each made a grant of £500,000 to Life Lines. 

Life Lines is a COVID-19 response.  Its aim is to alleviate suffering during this national crisis by establishing a system for virtual e-visiting by family at the bedside of patients with COVID-19 in isolation, initially on Intensive Care Units.

The Trustees of Gatsby and True Colours are proud to be supporting this essential project initiated by a team comprising Louise Rose, Professor of Critical Care Nursing at King's College London, Dr Joel Meyer, a critical care consultant at Guy’s and St Thomas’, and Michel Paquet of Aetonix who developed the software aTouchAway™.

Patients in intensive care with coronavirus are confined, sedated on a ventilator and critically ill. Their families cannot visit them because of infection control even if they are reaching end of life care.  Life Lines allows relatives to see and speak to their loved ones via a tablet using the secure online platform.  It also provides families with the opportunity to communicate directly with the clinical team, ask questions, and better understand the care the patient is receiving.  Life Lines supports patients, families and clinicians at an unprecedented time of challenge.

More information on Life Lines can be found at:

www.kingshealthpartners.org/lifelines

Those wishing to make a donation can do so at:

www.kingshealthpartners.org/lifelines/donate 

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20 March 2020 - Statement from the Settlor of Gatsby

Lord Sainsbury today issued the following statement:

“We are currently in a national emergency and we have decided to respond rapidly in changing our short-term focus and funding priorities to try to alleviate suffering during the COVID-19 Crisis.  Therefore, my charitable trust, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, has made the following two major grants:

£1M to the Trussell Trust to support running food banks nationwide.  Disruptions to supply chains, the impact of COVID-19 on volunteers and an anticipated rise in demand for their services as a result of economic hardship requires, we believe, a major and rapid response.

£1M to the National Emergencies Trust to support their Coronavirus Appeal.  The National Emergency Trust was set up to deal with such emergencies as we are now facing, and to make certain that in such circumstances funds are directed to the areas most in need in the country.  This we think they are well placed to do.”

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