Hardest hit communities to receive £40m as Covid-19 Support Fund and CAF partner with DCMS
28 September 2020
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and the Covid-19 Support Fund, established by the insurance and long-term savings industry, have teamed up with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to deliver £40m worth of assistance to charitable organisations in England.
The new partnership will support those communities that have been hardest hit by Covid-19 and brings together £20m from the Covid-19 Support Fund with £20m in matched funds from DCMS, as part of the Government’s pledge to assist charitable organisations struggling with a collapse in income owing to the pandemic.
This new partnership will help people living in deprived areas, organisations supporting BAME communities, and people with disabilities through hundreds of unrestricted grants to charitable organisations. The first tranche of payments will be made before the end of March 2021.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) will invite organisations across England with a clear charitable purpose to apply for funds that can be spent on everyday expenses to keep their doors open or can go towards specific programmes that they plan to deliver in the coming months.
Following this initial stage, the fund will then shift its focus to helping smaller charitable organisations to build back better and ensure they have the resources they need to be best able to adapt and withstand any future economic shocks, recover from the pandemic and strengthen their leadership position in their respective communities.
Sir John Low, Chief Executive of CAF, said:
“We are once again proud to be a part of this effort on the part of the insurance and long-term savings industry to explore every possible avenue to ensure that vital funds reach charities and the people they help everyday.
“The Government’s funding initiative demonstrates the power of match funding to help us get vital support to the corners of the country and the communities where it is needed the most.”
Tulsi Naidu, Chair of the Covid-19 Support Fund Governance Committee, said:
“The Covid-19 Support Fund was established by the insurance and long-term savings industry as collectively we wanted to find a way to help those hardest hit by the pandemic.
“This partnership with CAF is a fantastic way to expedite help to charitable organisations who may otherwise be struggling for income, and we’re grateful to DCMS for their generous match funding donation.”
-ENDS-
Background:
Launched in May, the Covid-19 Support Fund has raised over £100 million, with £84m having been pledged in voluntary contributions from firms across the insurance and long-term savings sector. The Fund is working in partnership with the Charities Aid Foundation, and a network of partners, including the National Emergencies Trust and Business in the Community’s National Business Response Network. The aim is to provide immediate relief to charities affected by Covid-19, as well as a longer-term programme of support for people, communities and issues where there is the greatest need.
The Covid-19 Support Fund is supported by members of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA), The London Market Group (LMG) and the International Underwriting Association (IUA).