Capital & Regional : Walthamstow Appeal launched

Capital & Regional, the owner of The Mall Walthamstow, where a serious fire recently broke out impacting on a number of local businesses and their staff, is partnering with retailTRUST, the leading retail industry benevolent charity, to launch an appeal to support those employed at The Mall and who have been negatively affected by the incident.

retailTRUST has set up a Just Giving page and it and Capital & Regional have each pledged £25,000 on an initial basis, with a contribution from Waltham Forest Council of £10,000 bringing the starting amount to £60,000. FTCT is also supporting the campaign and offering its services to The Mall community.

retailTRUST is the trade charity for the retail sector and supporting service industries. It supports retail employees and their families throughout their lives, from getting into retail all the way through to retirement. As one of the oldest charities in the UK, they change lives by improving people's emotional, physical, vocational and financial wellbeing.

FTCT offer financial grants to UK fashion and textile employees, including those who work in fashion stores, footwear and supermarkets that sell clothing, to help them provide essential items for their children (0-18 years), such as school uniforms or household goods. FTCT can also provide funding for children with additional needs, including mobility equipment, sensory toys and therapy.

Lawrence Hutchings, CEO at Capital & Regional said: 'The Mall is at the heart of the community in Walthamstow and we understand that the fire has had an impact on some people working in our stores in addition to the many people who work and live locally. Our priority is to have the centre fully operational again as safely and promptly as possible. To this end, a number of stores have been able to open and others will do so in a phased manner, however it could take some time before those stores that were more seriously damaged can reopen. In the meantime, we are working very hard to provide help and support to those experiencing hardship as a result of the fire, including this partnership with the two foremost charities in our sector to offer additional financial and emotional assistance.'

Leader of Waltham Forest Council, Cllr Clare Coghill said: 'The Mall is vital to the people of Waltham Forest and I am delighted to announce that Waltham Forest Council will be contributing £10,000 to the Walthamstow Appeal launched to support those affected by the fire at The Mall Walthamstow. In doing so we hope to be able to further the financial and emotional support to those people that desperately need it. My thanks go to all those involved in getting the centre up and running as quickly and safely as possible and to Capital & Regional, retailTRUST and The Fashion & Textile Children's Trust for making sure that the workers, many of them local people, are supported through this difficult time.'

Richard Boland, Chief Executive of retailTRUST said: 'Following the fire in Walthamstow, we are working closely with Capital and Regional to provide as much support as possible to both the individuals affected and the retailers themselves. The initial response to these unforeseen events is a need for emotional support and counselling for individuals affected.

'We have set aside a sum of up to £25,000 initially to help those individuals who may over the coming weeks suffer financial or other hardship as a result of the fire. As the trade's charity it is our duty not only to address the short-term situation but help wherever we can with longer term solutions.'

Director of the Fashion & Textile Children's Trust, Anna Pangbourne said: 'FTCT is delighted to be part of the Walthamstow Appeal and are really keen to reach families in the Walthamstow area whose financial situation has been negatively affected by this devastating event. We know how costly this time of year is for many parents, with the cost of school uniform and back to school items just over the horizon. Our grants can provide support for these items and more, so would urge parents with children aged 0-18 years, to visit our website, give us a call or find us on Facebook to see if we could help their family.'

To donate online please visit https://justgiving.com/campaign/walthamstow. Donations can also be made via text. To donate £5 to the appeal, text RTRUST12 to 70970.

If you have been affected by the fire at The Mall Walthamstow and would benefit from emotional support or financial assistance, please do get in touch with the retailTRUST helpline on 0808 801 0808 or email [e-mail].

The Fashion & Textile Children's Trust can be reached by visiting www.ftct.org.uk or calling their friendly team on 0300 123 9002. If you are a retailer at The Mall and would like more details about the charity, just call Anna, Director on 0300-123-9002.