5 Covid-19 appeal updates
Melanie May | 13 May 2020 | News
With many appeals raising funds for Covid-19 related causes, here is an update on five of them, from Sainsbury’s appeal for Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need, to the Big Give’s Covid-19 match funding campaign.
Together with our customers, colleagues and partners, we are delighted to have raised over £4.1million for @comicrelief and @BBCCiN, to help provide essential support to people who need it through the coronavirus crisis https://t.co/GHyv7VKEzg
— Sainsbury's News (@SainsburysNews) May 5, 2020
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Over £1.9m raised by Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat & Nectar customers
Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Nectar customers have collectively raised over £1.9 million for Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need over the past three weeks.
With Sainsbury’s matching funds raised pound for pound, a total of over £4.1 million has been donated towards emergency support for vulnerable people in the UK through the retailers’ joint appeal, which ran from 9 April to 1 May.
The supermarket is also donating over 750,000 new items from its Tu clothing range towards local communities and charities via Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s existing charity network.
A longstanding partner of Comic Relief, Sainsbury’s has raised more than £130 million for the charity over the past 21 years.
Kensington + Chelsea Foundation raises over £700k in five weeks for appeal
The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation, which raises funds for local projects providing support for vulnerable residents, has raised over £700,000 in five weeks for its Covid-19 Appeal.
Launched in late March, all funds raised will provide essential services including weekly care packages for elderly and vulnerable residents in the borough, support for those isolating in households which are difficult and potentially violent, and technology to connect community groups concerned with mental health. Charities and local projects including Age UK Kensington and Chelsea, Al-Hasaniya, Solidarity Sports and Minds United FC are among those receiving the foundation’s support.
Global financial technology company LMAX Group made the foundation’s lead donation of £250,000, while a number of other businesses have also donated significant amounts including property firm and the foundation’s principal supporter Cadogan, who has personally donated £50,000 to match funds, with £50,000 also pledged by both the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust and the Rockspring Charitable Trust. Through a series of silent auctions, British jewellery designer Theo Fennell has also donated to the appeal, raising over £7,000.
The Big Give Covid-19 campaign raises £1.36million for national appeal
The Big Give Covid-19 match funding campaign has raised more than £1.36million.
Every pound donated was doubled, using match funding from philanthropists and trusts, and then sent to the National Emergencies Trust, which has allocated funding to grassroots organisations and community foundations across the country.
Over £600,000 was gifted to the match funding pot by The Big Give’s funding champions, which include the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, the Reed family, Reed Foundation and Cazenove Capital (Schroders).
Lord Dannatt, chair of the National Emergencies Trust, said:
“We were delighted to partner with The Big Give to enable the public to double the value and power of their gifts in generating vital funding for grassroots charities across the country.
“We have been humbled by the public’s response. This means that we’ve been able promptly to issue grants to frontline charities and community foundations to fund critical services like food banks, mental health provision and support for those living in isolation.”
SSE awards over half of £1m Covid-19 fund
Energy firm SSE has distributed more than £550,000 of its £1m support fund to community groups in its first six weeks.
SSE has repurposed grants from its SSE Renewables and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) businesses to award the money with community groups, local businesses and charities across the UK receiving funds to help vulnerable people.
Projects include Lanarkshire voluntary body Covey Befriending, which has received £36,907 to help support vulnerable young people and their families during the coronavirus outbreak. Dunbeath and District Centre in Caithness has received £10,000 to deliver hot meals, shopping and prescriptions to people who have self-isolated. The Feldy-Roo food delivery service in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, who received £47,300 to help with food and essential supply deliveries to over-70s and other vulnerable groups, as well as going towards vital PPE for staff.
Alistair Phillips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, said:
“Local communities are so impressive in how they’ve rallied and established response projects so quickly, and our in-house team have worked with them to treble our normal rate of grant giving in just six weeks.”
We have been humbled to see the incredible work happening in our rural communities, and are pleased to announce that we have awarded over £120,000 of emergency funding to farming and rural community support groups, who are providing assistance during the Coronavirus pandemic. pic.twitter.com/69xuqgW9wi
— The Royal Countryside Fund (@countrysidefund) April 30, 2020
Prince’s Countryside Fund supports 62 community-led projects tackling Covid-19
The Prince’s Countryside Fund has awarded over £120,000 of funding to 62 community-led projects dealing with the impact of Covid-19 across the UK.
The recipients are tackling Covid-19 in a number of ways – from providing grocery, hot meal, and prescription delivery in remote areas, to setting up community shops and food banks, or providing business support tailored for rural and farm businesses.
The Fund received nearly 300 applications for assistance, and with the support of People’s Postcode Lottery, the Royal Warrant Holders Association Charitable Trust, the Barbour Foundation, and its own corporate partners, has been able to release £120,963 in funding to 62 projects supporting people living and working in rural areas.
The Fund has also awarded the Farming Community Network over £6000 to allow it to increase its helpline provision.
Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said:
“These small rural organisations are the lifeblood of many far-flung communities. They have adapted to provide unprecedented support to rural people, quickly, and efficiently, with the help of a dedicated army of local volunteers. We are so grateful to all our sponsors, who by supporting The Prince’s Countryside Fund, have enabled the provision of these Rural Response Emergency Grants during this crisis.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.