Do you currently have volunteers who aren’t able to do what they usually do for you? If so, and they’re able to, Volunteering Matters are coordinating the volunteering efforts of the sector and are asking for yours and their help. Find out more and sign up.
In March, the Department of Health and Social Care announced a £5 million pot to help mental health charities support people during the Coronavirus pandemic. The fund is administered by Mind and is open for applications as of April 16th. Grants of £20,000 or £50,000 are available for projects lasting up to 12 months with details of grants for smaller organisations being available from Monday 20th April. The application process is a fast track assessment with applications being assessed every few weeks. Grants will be administered until funds run out. Information about the application process can be found on their website, applications need to be submitted via Flexigrant which charities can register with through their website. Applicants are invited to apply any time and applications should take no longer than an hour to complete.
The National Lottery Community Fund has announced that its Awards for All England funding programme will remain open to all applications but, for the next six months, will prioritise applications from voluntary and community groups that need help to respond to Covid-19. Grants of between £300 to £10,000 will be available to existing grant-holders and is available to help with costs such as running costs, equipment, one-off events, staff and training costs, and transport etc. Applications which involve the community in the design, development and delivery of the projects will be more likely to succeed. Groups may hold up to a maximum of two awards within a 12-month period. Applications will be dealt with more quickly than normal and can be made at any time. Click here
The latest announcement from the Chancellor included a much needed emergency package of £750 Million to keep charities afloat during these uncertain times. Chancellor Rishi Sunak also confirmed that charities and their employees are eligible for the government’s job retention scheme. Tens of thousands of charities providing vital services will benefit from direct cash grants, to ensure they can meet increased demand as a result of the virus, as well as continuing their day-to-day activities supporting those in need. Mr Sunak also announced that the government would match all donations from the public to the BBC’s Big Night In fundraising event on the 23rd April, pledging a minimum of £20m. Keep up to date with the latest developments on this much needed support package, including how much funding charities will be entitled to claim and over what period, and how long it will be before the funding reaches charities accounts from the Charity Tax Group.
West London Business has launched a dedicated business support helpline to field queries from local businesses that are struggling to navigate support from government and banks, as well as siginificant business change. Our evolving resources at coronavirus.westlondon.com, in tandem with the knowledge from a team of skilled and experienced home-based volunteers, are supporting business in the sub-region like never before. We’re still recruiting volunteeers looking to make a real difference in supporting your local business community and provide business leaders with the information they need to make informed decisions at this testing time. If you have experience suitable for any of the roles below and have time to help from home, please contact us today. Business Support Volunteer (front-line) Are you an experienced business professional who can help answer business owners/ managers queries over the phone? Find out more **NEW** Business Support Volunteer (second-line) If your talents are better suited to aiding follow-up queries and support, we’re looking to bridge the gap between the Information & Research Volunteer team and the Front Line support volunteers. Find out more Volunteer Information & Research Officers (Limited vacancies remain) Are you able to help us identify and interpret the details of the latest government support in this fast-moving crisis? Find out more