We have launched The Leicestershire and Rutland Coronavirus Support Fund.
The Community Foundation rarely asks for cash. We’re not fundraisers as such: our job is to provide an inexpensive, knowledgeable platform for companies and individuals to give locally, and to match their crucial support to the effective yet small charitable groups which work so hard to keep Leicestershire and Rutland healthy and thriving.
But these are difficult times. Lockdown is hard for all, and we’re seeing first-hand that for many it’s disastrous. Our local charities and community groups need help to deal with people who are facing loss of income, new debts, cramped accommodation, domestic violence, worsening mental health, isolation, lack of internet access.
So we are asking you to donate, if you can, to The Leicestershire and Rutland Coronavirus Support Fund. It’s made up National Emergency Trust money – national donations which we’ve been asked to distribute locally – and donations from local companies and individuals.
Grants from the Fund will be distributed (with due diligence) to local charitable, voluntary and community groups providing services to those most affected by the pandemic. As more money comes through, we hope to also offer basic support to charitable groups to help keep them stable until life returns to normal again. We don’t want to lose them and the work they do to keep our local social fabric strong.
It will not be possible to agree each grant for each donor as we usually do, but we will use our practised systems and intelligence to reach those who need help most, and we will monitor spend as normal. Grant sizes will initially be between £500 and £5,000 but we hope to make them larger if there is a good reason to do so.
