“Without action, there is no future for charities.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the UK’s Third Sector has seen donations plummet, leaving behind a £10 billion funding gap. Now facing the added pressure of the recession, charities, trusts and foundations are issuing urgent appeals to dig deep and support their communities.
As donations decrease, thankfully, Heart of England Community Foundation’s donors have been resilient in their continued support which is now needed more than ever. In the last six months the West Midlands’ leading grant-giving charity has seen a 187% rise in grant applications in comparison to the same period in 2019.
To help address the need, the Foundation launched its Coronavirus Resilience and the Doing Things Differently Funds, awarding over £3.1 million. However, the appeals for financial support from grassroots organisations continue to roll in, and Heart of England Community Foundation is warning that we must do what we can to save them.
Calling on individuals and businesses who are in a position to donate, Heart of England Community Foundation’s Chief Executive, Tina Costello, is asking for help them to support vital services and organisations.
She said: “The knock-on effects of the ongoing pandemic are being felt acutely by organisations across the board. Heart of England has always been lucky to receive great support from businesses in the region, and as a result we have been able to launch an abundance of grants that are accessible to different charities.
“However, with the economic implications of the last few months more and more charities will need financial support from us and Foundations across the country.
“This period has seen grant-giving charities receive a substantial rise in requests for support: we alone have seen a great increase, with over 1,300 applications being submitted in the last six months. In times like these, the charities that have such a monumental impact helping vulnerable communities turn to us; and the only way we can continue to support them is with the financial support of others.
“The small charities that continue to support our local communities are often the charities that are left by the wayside. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on grassroots projects across the UK, and we need donors to help us fill the funding gap so that we’re able to support those most affected.”
Heart of England Community Foundation currently has ten grants available, offering grassroots organisations across the West Midlands funding of up to £20,000. The Foundation awarded over £5 million in 2019/20 and hopes to continue providing vital opportunities to projects and charities who need them.
“Grassroots organisations are vital to the communities we live in, over the last six months we’ve continued to work with generous donors like Wesleyan, Coventry Building Society and Segro who have enabled funding to some amazing projects over the West Midlands.
“The Aston & Nechalls Foodbank in Birmingham, Compton Care in Wolverhampton, Bardsley Youth Project in Coventry and Lifespace Trust in Warwickshire are just a few examples of different organisations we’ve been able to fund in recent months. Without these charities supporting different aspects of our communities many people would be without vital support.” concluded Tina.
For more information about the Foundation, as well as the other projects that Heart of England Community Foundation supports, head to heartofenglandcf.co.uk.