Here at Tyl, we’re on a mission to help businesses and communities thrive. You might already know that our Giveback initiative here at Tyl means that for every transaction you take, we donate to charities and community projects around the country via our Giveback Community Fund. We’re proud to say this was built into our operations right from the very start.
A hugely worthy cause we’re pleased to have donated to so far is Macmillan Cancer Support who work tirelessly to be a light in the darkest of times. Here’s a story of how their work makes a real difference to local communities.
3,000,000 reasons to help
Three million people across the UK are currently living with cancer, and Macmillan does whatever it takes to help as many of them as possible. From financial support to emotional support, over the phone or online, they will move mountains to make sure everyone feels supported, reassured and informed. This includes a whole range of things from cancer support for victims, cancer support groups and especially cancer support for families.
As an example of how the organisation is helping at a local level, Macmillan is working in partnership with Disability Solutions West Midlands (DSWM). This is a user-led charity for disabled people, providing welfare benefits advice to people living with cancer across Staffordshire.
Helping those least able to help themselves
Around 31,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the West Midlands every year, with Stoke-on-Trent having significantly higher rates than the rest of England. The region also has pockets of extreme deprivation and with cancer more common in poorer areas, the disease is more likely to affect those who are least able to cope with its financial impact.
Feedback from DSWM shows that many people with cancer in Staffordshire have little experience of applying for welfare benefits, they are often also unaware of financial support and entitlements available. This is where Macmillan’s support service can help.
Staffordshire Macmillan Welfare Benefits Service helps people living with cancer access the financial support they need when they need it most. It’s led by a team of highly qualified and experienced welfare rights advisors, and offers:
- Advice on what benefits people living with cancer are entitled to, whether they’re able to work or not
- Advice and help with claims
- Advice and support in submitting applications for Macmillan grants
- Advocacy through any disputed claims process
- Advice and assistance at appeals against benefit entitlements decisions
- Liaising and signposting to other benefits services and Macmillan services
This service that Macmillan provide with DSWM is so vital. In the words of one user of the service, “I can’t begin to thank [DWSM] enough for everything {DWSM] have helped me with. I felt so alone trying to sort things out and after speaking to {DWSM] have felt so much less stressed about everything… [they’re] so brilliant on the phone. Thank you.”
How Tyl is helping Macmillan Cancer Support
Under the coronavirus pandemic, Macmillan experienced a huge drop in income because the usual ways people fundraise were no longer allowed. Macmillan reported a projected fundraising income loss of as much as £175m by the end of 2022, so our efforts here at Tyl are providing critical funding at a time when we needed it most.
Want to know more about Giveback?
The Giveback Community Fund is at the heart of our business here at Tyl: with every card transaction our customers take, we donate a portion to the Giveback Community Fund, to support good causes. So, the more successful our Tyl customers are, the bigger the Tyl Giveback Community Fund grows, the bigger the impact we can have in our customers’ local communities – it’s a win-win-win situation. We hope to bring more and more charities into the Giveback fold as time goes on. Watch this space.