Early on in the pandemic the Government pledged £750 million to ensure that charities can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak.
This funding has been aimed at supporting those who continue to provide their services throughout this difficult time. Some examples of how these funds have been allocated are;
- £200 million directly for support hospices.
- A £7.5 million funding package to help tackle loneliness over the difficult winter period.
- £310 million for smaller, local VCSEs in England. This included the Coronavirus Community Support Fund distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund which has now closed. However, the National Lottery Community Fund continue to fund projects and communities. More information on this can be found here.
- £4.8 million distributed to the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership, a group in which vital work is done improving national and local coordination before, during and after emergencies.
Additionally, the Government continues to match funding the generous public donations to the BBC Big Night In. This has been an incredibly successful project with the latest fundraising total sitting over £35 million.
Although some applications for the funds initially announced have now closed the Office for Civil Society in DCMS continues to work with colleagues across government to direct funds to support the VCSE and the wide range of essential activities they undertake.
Furthermore, charities including community amateur sports clubs can apply for charitable rate relief of up to 80% if a property is used for charitable purpose.