The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 16: Summer 2020 | Page 12

Bath Rugby Foundation
Bath Rugby Foundation uses sport to
empower vulnerable children and young
people to succeed. The charity’s coaches
are seen in schools, at The Rec and in
many community settings, delivering their
unique brand of support to the widest young
audience possible.
Around 3,500 youngsters every year
benefit from the 17-year-old charity’s awardwinning
work.
Covid-19 has dealt a hammer blow to
the incomes of all charities and at a time
when children and young people need more
charitable support, the charity faces the
tough prospect of doing more with less.
Despite this challenge, Bath Rugby
Foundation continues its vital work in the
Bath community, albeit remotely, and
is leading a partnership of city charities
to collaborate on a Summer Break Out
programme.
As our community moves from survival
to revival, Bath Rugby Foundation and its
partners are determined to ensure the
vulnerable children who walked into the
pandemic, walk out with as much support
as possible.
CEO Lynne Fernquest said, “Summer
Break Out provides children’s charities
with a unique opportunity to work together
and deliver day camps for families,
teenagers and young adults. This amazing
collaboration of Bath charities will be
providing nutritious food, sports, arts,
crafts, music, social action, education and
employment programmes.
“All the charities involved in Summer
Break Out are specialists, and perfectly
placed to support the 8,200 children living in
poverty in our community.
“These children and young people had
complex needs at the start of this pandemic
and will face even greater challenges at the
end. If we don’t look at new ways of working,
Bath Business Improvement Di
During this especially challenging time, the
team at Bath Business Improvement District
(Bath BID) have been working hard to support
local businesses and the community.
They have been working in conjunction
with B&NES Council and Visit Bath on a
coordinated response to the coronavirus crisis
and a swift return to business-as-usual.
While Bath has been closed to visitors,
Bath BID has been regularly sharing useful
and up-to-date information with Levy Payers
via its digital channels, as well as hosting
free webinars to link local businesses with
service providers and provide more accessible
support.
As a measure of the success of joint
communications with the Council and Visit
Bath, the take-up of grants for retail and
hospitality businesses has been impressive.
Bath BID is also utilising digital channels
The Soul Spa
The Soul Spa is on a mission to support
people with their mental wellbeing. The
business opened in central Bath, a few steps
from the Thermae Spa, in October 2019 with
an idea that people working in or visiting
Bath could drop in for some mental ‘time
out’ during the working day.
When lockdown hit, the company had to
adapt overnight and began offering daily
sessions online. Like many businesses it
found that this new world has meant access
is no longer confined to people who are
physically in Bath, and clients can enjoy
classes from the comfort of their own
homes.
Madeline Blackburn said, “Since that
fateful week in March we have run over
to highlight and share business openings and
promotions to Bath residents, with a particular
focus on businesses who have adapted their
usual operations during this time.
Chief Executive Allison Herbert said, “On
the ground, we have maintained our ranger
services to do extra cleaning in the public
areas outside key businesses which have
been tirelessly providing the community with
essential goods. Our rangers are working
closely with the Council’s environmental
officers and keeping in touch with waste
contractors to keep the city free of rubbish and
vermin.
“We are all looking forward to a safe and
welcoming return for visitors and residents
and as part of the long-term vision for the
welcome back, we brought together local
event organisers and businesses in two
online conferences to share ideas for the ‘Big
two hundred guided meditation and mental
relaxation sessions for companies and
individuals, helping them to deal with
this extraordinary situation and become
mentally resilient. Mental relaxation training
does for your brain what going to the gym
does for your body. It’s not about weakness,
it’s about strength.
“Through our company group sessions,
we have given teams a chance to come
together as a group to relax and stay
creative and focused, even though some of
them are overseas.
“It became apparent to us that many
charities’ fundraising income streams had
all but dried up because of the lockdown
and we wanted to do what we could to help.