A further £328,000 awarded to 22 local charities by Two Ridings Community Foundation
This week 22 local charities from across North & East Yorkshire received grants of £15,000 each from Two Ridings Community Foundation to support their essential running costs over the next six months as they respond to the continuing double whammy of increased demand and decreased fundraising caused by the Coronavirus crisis and lockdown. This funding is part of the £750 million pot announced by the Chancellor for frontline charities across the UK during the coronavirus outbreak.
These 22 awards, totaling £328,307 brings the amount distributed by Two Ridings in the last six months to over £1.5m. Since the end of March grants provided by Two Ridings have allowed groups to respond in the immediate lockdown period to help keep people fed, safe, well and connected, adapt services to vulnerable users so that support can still be provided even if self-isolating and now allow key local groups to sustain themselves financially whilst other sources of funding from fundraising events or activities have dried up.
Recent surveys of charities, both nationally and locally in our area, indicate that the next few months will be critical for the long term survival of many charities. Over 5,400 job losses have already been announced in the charity sector since the start of the pandemic but many experts predict this is just the tip of the iceberg. One leading charity think-tank, Pro Bono Economics, predicts that another 34,100 charity sector employees may have lost their jobs by the end of the year and 58% of charities expect demand for their services to increase over the next six months. Locally a survey of charities across North Yorkshire, York and the Humber area indicated that 57% of local charities had experienced a drop in income, and 41% were concerned about their survival beyond the next few months.
The small team of staff at the Community Foundation are working around the clock to ensure funds get to those organisations that can make the biggest impact to quickly support the most vulnerable residents living in North and East Yorkshire, ensuring the donations are spent effectively.
Grants have been awarded to support a wide range of projects from the essential costs of services for the elderly and people with disabilities to reopening childcare nurseries, employability projects and essential day care for severely disabled young adults.
Please click here to see the full list of all grants awarded
NEWS RELEASE £328,000 in grants distributed this week by Two Ridings Community Foundation 8 Sep 2020