A new way of working - protecting wealth and protecting health - the Sanlam way....

In difficult times like this, I find it genuinely heart-warming to read about how communities have rallied together to support each other and those most in need. This week, hopefully I can bring smiles to a few more faces - I've been quizzing my colleagues about the work they've been doing not just to help each other but also to support their communities:-

Sarbjit Chahal, Financial Planner

As many of you will know, the Coronavirus pandemic has caused significant damage to economies, businesses and stock markets worldwide. The FTSE 100 index of UK companies experienced its second biggest single-day fall on record on 12th March and is down over 20% year to date. For many, this has caused serious panic and concern about the value of their savings, pensions and investments. Luckily, Sarb is here to help.

As a qualified financial planner, he has committed to dedicating his time outside of working hours to offer his services free of charge. For anyone who has a question about investments or wealth planning, or is just generally concerned for their financial future, Sarb wants you to get in touch with him. As he says, "In this country, we're not great at talking about money. If you want to get in shape, you go and see a personal trainer. If you're ill, you go and see a doctor. But when it comes to money, we tend to keep these things close to our chest."

If you want to get in touch with Sarb, you can find his post here.

He has also posted a fantastic video with some quick tips to help your financial wellbeing.

Andrew Lewis, Sales Director

Andy lives close to an elderly farmer who sells the beef from his small herd of cattle within the local community. Unfortunately the farmer has a persistent heart condition and is self-isolating, unable to open his shop or deliver to his customers. The farmer insists on selling the beef to his individual customers in the local community rather than selling his entire stock to one wholesaler.

Andy and his wife have offered to deliver the meat to the farmer's customers free of charge, allowing him to keep his business going and providing much needed supplies to those who most need them in the local community.

Justine Colley, Portfolio Manager

Justine is involved in the @CoronaCareChallenge which was set up by her close friends. The initiative is helping to deliver food supplies to those who are less able, less fortunate and are alone at this time. They also deliver meals to NHS staff at local hospitals. The group is encouraging people to offer their support in two ways:

1. Donate money on the GoFundMe Page, which can be found by clicking here.
2. Donate their time to delivering supplies from the storage facility (limited to smaller communities for safety reasons).

Justine has replicated the idea on her local road in London and has been adding extra supplies to her online food deliveries to deliver to two elderly neighbours who are self-isolating.

If you want to get involved, you can either donate using the link above or tag the @CoronaCareChallenge in a Facebook / Instagram post and they will repost to rally support from your community and see if there is anyone local to you who needs your help.

There are so many stories around Sanlam about the work the teams are doing. It's fascinating how our Work From Home strategy has seen everybody working more collegiately than ever to protect not just our client's wealth but also their health. Microsoft Teams and Zoom have completely transformed my working life this week - I find myself actually looking forward to seeing what computer-generated background our Chief Investment Officer has chosen for each day's morning meeting, from a trading floor to an idyllic beach. And then there's the 28,000 letters that have been sent out to clients updating them on their portfolios; we've sent out thought pieces, videos and held live-streamed webinars, all to ensure that our clients feel safe under our care.

Last night, the twins and I stood outside our front door at 8pm banging pots and pans together to show our gratitude and appreciation for the all the NHS staff working to fight against this virus. Next week, they'll be coming back out at 8:45am on my daily morning video call to thank all my colleagues for everything they're doing to support our clients and the wider communities they work within.