Leeds-based property firm Aspen Woolf has started donating 10% of its service fees to the COVID-19 vaccine roll out in deprived countries
Founded in 2005, the property investment firm is behind many apartment complexes in Leeds South Bank Holbeck region, namely Springwell Gardens and Sky Gardens.
Aspen Woolf has joined the WHO Foundation Go Give One Campaign (World Health Organisation Foundation) and begun donating to help combat vaccine inequality.
Which countries are most at risk?
Unlike rich nations across Europe and North America, deprived countries are not equipped to vaccinate citizens. For example, Chad, Burundi, South Sudan, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania lag significantly behind in the roll-out.
Data from the UN shows that in deprived countries, more than 95% of people are yet to receive their first dose, compared with the current full vaccination rate of 69.3% in the UK.
It may sound be shocking, but less than 0.2% of all vaccinations created have gone to disadvantaged countries.
Timely decisions
These donations, alongside the WHO Go Give One campaign, are timely given the outbreak of Omicron COVID-19 variant which is now widespread in Southern African countries. Many of the deprived countries who will benefit are also in this region.
It was only last week that Boris Johnson announced that coronavirus measures would be tightened to tackle the new Omicron variant in the UK. New rules include working from home and wearing masks in all public places.
‘We may be largely protected, but others are not.’
Speaking on the company’s donation programme, Oliver Ramsden, director at Aspen Woolf, said:
“Given last week’s developments around Omicron, alongside the vast inequality of vaccines in lower income countries, it’s clear that COVID-19 is a problem that cannot be solved by any one country or government.
“We may be largely protected, but others are not.
“Aspen Woolf believe that none of us will be free from the virus until we are all free. As such, we are proud to be making this pledge with 10% of our revenue and joining the WHO Go Give One Campaign.”
