Posted on 3rd Apr
The National Emergencies Trust has announced a further £5m of funding will be distributed to front line charities today, helping those most impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. This is possible thanks to the generosity of the UK public, major charitable trusts and corporate donations.
So far, around half of the £16m total pledged to the Coronavirus Appeal has been given out (£7.5m in total), following an initial allocation of almost £2.5m a week after the appeal launched. Further distributions will be made in the coming days, to continue to support the most vulnerable in society.
The money will be distributed through UK Community Foundations to 46 local community foundations across the country.
Major businesses and charitable trusts across the UK, as well as the British public, have generously donated to the appeal, including corporate donors such as BT, Tesco, HSBC, M&S and National Grid. The appeal is responding to the needs of local community foundations across the UK and allocating money to these based on local factors such as levels of deprivation and demographics in each region.
The National Emergencies Trust’s Coronavirus Appeal was launched in partnership with the British Red Cross and with the support of the Duke of Cambridge. Anyone can make a donation at www.nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk or by texting APPEAL to 70141 to donate £10.
John Herriman, CEO of the National Emergencies Trust, said: “It is fantastic that good causes across the UK are already seeing the benefits of the public’s support and the overwhelming generosity of our corporate donors. It’s vital that we are able to offer support to these groups as soon as we can.
“Our work may have started but there is still much more to do. We’re asking the public to get behind the appeal and make contribution if possible, or to spread the word to help raise awareness. Everyone who donates can be confident their money is reaching those in need quickly and making an instant difference to the most vulnerable in our communities at this difficult time. We need to come together more than ever and I’m heartened the British public are rising to the challenge.”
Rosemary Macdonald, Interim CEO of UK Community Foundations, said: “Working closely with our network of 46 community foundations, we’re seeing unprecedented demand for support from those in need across our society. We’re working to make sure that donations reach communities quickly and in response to particular needs, so that we are properly supporting the most vulnerable as best we can.”
