Blenheim Steps in to Support Local Community

Blenheim is working with a range of community groups needing help and support during the coronavirus crisis.

A total of 15,000 chocolate Easter bunnies, originally intended for visitors over the Easter holidays, have been donated to local foodbanks and the South Oxfordshire Food & Education Academy (SOFEA) who will be distributing them in food boxes throughout the Thames Valley region.

Over 1,700 bottles of Blenheim mineral water have been sent to NHS staff working in the intensive care units across Oxford University Hospitals.

The Estate has also provided free office space at its Witney Business & Innovation Centre to a couple; one working with vulnerable children and the other providing IT support for the NHS.

Both were unable to get to their places of work due to travel restrictions.

One of Blenheim’s electric vans is being loaned to the Hanborough Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group to help deliver food and provisions to people who are self-isolating.

Blenheim is also supporting the Help Hub, a local online clinic created to offer practical advice and guidance for anyone feeling isolated and lonely as a result of the coronavirus.

“We are in a position where we are able to provide at least some help and assistance to local people carrying out really important work,” said Blenheim Chief Executive Dominic Hare.

“These are extraordinarily testing times for absolutely everybody and it’s an opportunity for all of us to step up, work together and support each other.

“Blenheim, like many thousands of businesses across the country, is facing a crisis unlike anything it has ever had to deal with.

“However, this is also a chance for people to demonstrate just how resilient and vitally important our communities really are.

“By working together and offering each other help and comfort we will be able to emerge from this terrible situation having forged stronger and more enduring links which will prove invaluable in the future,” he added.

As part of its ‘Stay Connected’ initiative, Blenheim Palace is offering regular content through its website and newsletters from virtual tours and audio-guides to education resources, including information on other national led activities and initiatives, to keep people busy and entertained.