The Somerset Coronavirus Appeal, launched by local charity Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) in late March, has grown to over £1 million thanks to generous contributions by local individuals, charitable trusts and businesses, as well as funding from the national appeal, run by The National Emergencies Trust (NET).
The appeal is providing grants of up to £10,000 to groups delivering frontline support to help local communities recover from the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak. Grants of over £500,000 have already been awarded to more than 180 local good causes across the county, including food deliveries for older people, online counselling, activity packs for disadvantaged children and support for struggling families.
During the first ‘emergency’ phase of the appeal, the money raised was awarded to local charities and community organisations supporting those in most urgent need during the early days of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Justin Sargent, Chief Executive at SCF, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have reached this significant milestone and have been humbled by the generosity of local people, businesses, and charitable trusts who have really united behind our communities here in Somerset.
“I am hearing regularly from charities on the frontline that the demand for their support continues to be huge at a time when many of them have lost fundraising income. Many also believe that they will see even greater demand in the months ahead as the long term impacts of the outbreak start to have an effect. We’ve set ourselves an ambitious goal of raising £1.5 million for Somerset so we can make a further £1 million of grants to see our communities through the tough times ahead.”
Any group wishing to apply for funding from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal should visit the SCF website where they can find guidance on how to make an application: www.somersetcf.org.uk/coronavirus
Anyone able to donate to the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal should visit the SCF website: www.somersetcf.org.uk/appeal or call 01749 344949.
Community Foundations are local champions, connecting people and organisations that want to improve their communities. They invest in local people and organisations tackling some of the biggest issues facing communities today and supporting some of society’s most disadvantaged people. They provide help and advice to those who want to give at the heart of their communities, both now and in the long-term, by matching donors to important local causes.
Join Somerset Chamber of Commerce to give your business a stronger voice both locally, regionally and nationally. Combined with local town chambers, we represent over 2,000 businesses across Somerset with a direct line to policy-makers at all levels.