Covid-19 relief fund for charities passes the £10m mark

Charities Aid Foundation has handed out more than £10m to charities to support Covid-19 impacted communities.

The money has been distributed through the CAF Resilience Fund through flexible grants, to help charities deliver frontline services as well as meet core costs, such as rent.

In announcing the £10m landmark CAF’s head of charity advisory Monica Brown said: “We are very pleased to have distributed more than £10m to charities which have been at the very heart of the response to this pandemic.

“This money has been targeted at those areas of the country where the need is greatest, towards communities who have struggled to access earlier funding, at those facing cultural barriers and those who have lacked a voice through these long and difficult months.”

The grants have ranged between £10,000 and £100,000. The average amount awarded is £30,000.

CAF Resilience Fund has now distributed more than £10m to charities supporting those hit hardest by Covid-19: https://t.co/xEf9oJUfc9 @DCMS @BritishInsurers @C19SupportFund @smallkindact #CommunitiesCan #NeverMoreNeeded #CAFResilienceFund pic.twitter.com/f6xkgGcn75
— Charities Aid Foundation (@Caf) February 5, 2021

Among those to be supported is Small Acts of Kindness, which supports the elderly in Hertfordshire.

"The funding from the CAF Resilience Fund has meant that we could respond to additional demand for our Warm in Winter gift bags containing essential keep warm items and information for older people,” said the charity’s chief executive Lynne Misner.

"We have been able to ensure that thousands of lonely and vulnerable older people across Hertfordshire, many of whom have been isolating for months, were warm in their homes when the weather turned cold.

"In a challenging year for small charities like ours this funding has made all the difference, allowing us to keep going, feel more secure and support those in need."

The funding for the CAF Resilience Fund has been provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Community Match Challenge funding scheme, part of the Government's £750m coronavirus support package for charities.

The Community Match Challenge matched funding is provided by the Covid-19 Support Fund created by the insurance and savings industry.