b'20 Member News November 2020Career supportFoothold celebratesWellbeing as a priorityvolunteer contributions Over the last 15 years, Foothold has considerably expanded the support available to engineers and their families. Where financial support was once the core offering, The IET Benevolent Fund looks back at the last the engineering community can now access help with mental and 15 years under the leadership of volunteer Trustees. physical wellbeing, care, housing and more, putting the community Dorrie Giles, amembers in charge of changing their Foothold Trusteelives for the better. To achieve this, for a combined nineFoothold works closely with expert years, has been aorganisations, making their know-how part of many keyavailable to anyone who needs it. This year, three of the charitys volunteersdevelopments atWith housing advice becoming are ending their time on the Board ofthe charity. Onemore in demand, Foothold began a Trustees. Their work has been vital tothat stands out ispartnership with the housing charity Footholds development and ability to offerthe establishmentShelter in 2007. For IET members more support than ever before to IETDorrie Giles of the Spiers Fund. and their families, this meant free members and their families.and immediate access to information around renting and ownership Amanda Dowd, theissues, as well as support for those outgoing Chair ofIts given us the opportunity tohaving to leave their homes. Trustees, hashelp members and their familiesIn a further drive to increase the volunteered on thewith housing adaptations and care,wellbeing of the community, Foothold Board for aenabling them to have a better lifepartnered with several expert combined 13 yearsorganisations in the last three years. since 2005. Herin their own homes. Its somethingOne of those is National Autistic journey with the IETIm sure we would all hope for. Society (NAS), providing support to Benevolent Fundadults and children with autism. Over Amanda Dowd started in 1991, as100 families have benefitted from NASs an IET CouncilFoothold alsosupport through Foothold since 2017. representative on the IET Benevolent Fundwelcomes Dolores2019 saw Foothold working with Court of Governors. I think the mostByrne as the newwith Anxiety UK, making quick memorable aspect of the time I have spentChair of the Board.access to mental health treatment working with the charity has been toDolores is lookingpossible for over 100 IET members realise just how much it has done for manyforward to her timeto date. The latest in the line of engineers and their dependents. It isas Chair, saying:successful partnerships is the clinically comforting to realise that there is a veryFoothold hasapproved sleep support programme effective safety net in place should itbeen supportingSleepstation, beginning at the start become necessary. The staff, volunteersDolores Byrne engineers forof 2020. The programme has been and partner organisations do a brilliant,130 years and Ima huge success, helping over 200 compassionate job. delighted to become Chair of the Trusteepeople to improve their insomnia This is echoed byBoard in October to continue its great work. and live fuller, happier lives.Jayne Bryant, a Foothold Trustee for the pastCrisis responsethree years. I have thoroughly2020 saw an unprecedented increase in requests for support. By the end of June, almost 1,000 enjoyed my timemembers and their families had accessed Footholds support, a 28% increase from the previous as a trustee of12 months. But as the coronavirus pandemic progressed and large-scale redundancies followed, Foothold. We doFoothold continued to support the community with emergency funding, totalling over Jayne Bryant such important230,000. This support has been vital for all, but especially the forgotten members ofwork helpingthe workforce and their families who were not eligible for government support.people in need, a role which has become even more important in the lastIf you would like to play a part in shaping Foothold and the way it supports IET eight months as the COVID pandemicmembers and their families by volunteering on Footholds Service Development has affected so many people. Committee, please contact Foothold on: contact.us@myfoothold.org'