A FUND launched to help small charities and community groups tackle the effects of the pandemic has broken the £1million barrier.
The Wiltshire Community Foundation report, “The Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Appeal launched on 20th March and besides racking up the enormous total, the fund has already distributed more than £650,000 to almost 170 community groups.”
Co-interim chief executive Fiona Oliver said the help of the public in Wiltshire and Swindon has been remarkable, “We are truly thankful for what has been an overwhelming response to this appeal.
“When we launched, we were hopeful of raising £50,000 and then we reset that to £150,000. The money kept coming in and we set a new target of £500,000 and then when we passed that we aimed at £1million. Now the incredible generosity of people in the county has taken us past this and we’ve revised our target again to £1.5million.”
As well as public support, the fund has been boosted by donations from charitable trusts, businesses including the Zurich Community Trust, Wessex, Water, Thames Water, the Oakfield Development and the Police and Crime Commissioner’s fund.
The foundation added, “The groups to have benefitted have included foodbanks, youth and children’s projects and those caring for the elderly and people with disabilities as well as charities dealing with mental health, domestic abuse, homelessness, loneliness, isolation and, education.
“The fund has helped long-established charities including Age UK and Wiltshire Sight as well as groups that sprang up specifically to deal with the crisis, such as Shield Wiltshire, which produced 20,000 plastic visors for frontline workers and was awarded £4,000 from the fund.”
Founder Anette Alchin said, “We discovered amazing community spirit when we started up and the Wiltshire Community Foundation grant really helped us, it was fantastic.”
South West Wiltshire MP Andrew Murrison said, “A big well done to the Wiltshire Community Foundation for rising to the challenge presented by Covid-19. Voluntary organisations have been stretched because volunteers have had to stay at home and because revenue has fallen and yet their services have been in increased demand. This money will make a big difference.”
Anette Oliver said that despite her and her colleagues’ delight at reaching £1million, the hard work goes on. “For many people in Wiltshire facing losing their job or reduced hours the hardship is only just beginning and the voluntary sector is going to be needed more than ever before.
“But at the same time many of these vital groups are struggling to keep going after losing months of fundraising so our fund is just as much an important lifeline for them now as it was back in March. We very much still need the support of the people of the county.”
To donate to the fund or to find out how to apply for a grant, go to wiltshirecf.org.uk.
