On 8 April 2020 the Chancellor pledged £750 million to ensure Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations could continue their vital work supporting the country during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including £200 million for the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, along with an additional £150 million from dormant bank and building society accounts.
The funding is aimed at supporting those who need to continue providing their services as part of the national coronavirus response and has been allocated through the following ways:
o £360 million allocated by central government departments to charities in England based on evidence of service need. Of this £200 million is directly supporting hospices
o £310 million for smaller, local VCSEs in England. This includes the £200 million Coronavirus Community Support Fund distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund. Applications to this fund are now closed, but the National Lottery Community Fund is continuing to fund projects and organisations supporting communities through the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more here.
o £85 million will be invested in the new Community Match Challenge, matching pound-for-pound funds raised through selected coronavirus charity campaigns. A further £4.8 million will be distributed to the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership – a group that comes together to improve national and local coordination before, during and after emergencies – to help strengthen the voluntary sector’s response to coronavirus and future emergencies.
o £60 million in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to support thousands of charities on the frontline helping people affected by COVID-19.
o £150 million from dormant bank and building society accounts to help charities, social enterprises and individuals
o Match funding the generous public donations to the BBC Big Night In, with the first £20 million of funding going to the National Emergencies Trust and the rest split between Children In Need and Comic Relief. The latest fundraising total is over £35 million.
Funds distributed by central government departments
The £360 million package for central government departments to fund charities in England depending on service need has all been allocated, including the £200 million for hospices administered by the Department for Health and Social Care. The funding was allocated as follows;
o £5 million Loneliness Fund, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport [Fund closed. List of successful bids.]
o £6 million Homelessness Fund, Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government [Fund closed]
o £34.15 million Vulnerable Children Fund, Department for Education and Home Office [Fund closed]
o £27 million Domestic Abuse Survivors and Survivors of Sexual Violence, Ministry of Justice and Home Office [Fund closed. List of successful bids to Home Office fund.]
o £1.8 million Survivors of Modern Slavery, Home Office [Fund closed]
o £10 million Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation, Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government [Fund closed. List of successful bids.]
o £5.4 million Legal Advice, Ministry of Justice [Fund closed]
o £15 million Support for the Citizens Advice service, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [Fund closed]
o £22 million Support for Health Charities, Department of Health and Social Care [Fund closed]
o £6m Support for Armed Forces communities, Ministry of Defence [Fund closed]
o £16 million Meals for Those in Need, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [Applications extended to 25 September due to additional funding – apply here. List of successful bids.]
o £14 million Zoos Support Fund, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [Applications extended to 16 November due to additional funding – apply here.]
We’ll provide further information on Sector Specific Support, Treasury Financial Support and Further Financial Support in Wednesday’s web item.
