Winter Wellbeing campaign aims to raise funds and encourage work in the community.
With another national lockdown in force and a long, hard winter on the horizon, charities and community projects alike are set to face more devastating months ahead. To help ease the pressure, Heart of England Community Foundation wants to offer a helping hand, launching its new campaign, ‘Winter Wellbeing’, not just to raise money but to encourage people to give back to their community.
Heart of England Community Foundation raised over £400,000 through the Coronavirus Resilience Appeal earlier this year and is now targeting a £1 million milestone by raising a further £600,000.
Thanks to that appeal, and support from the National Emergencies Trust, Heart of England has issued over £3.5 million to grassroot causes that are addressing the effects of COVID-19 in the West Midlands and Warwickshire.
The pandemic has seen funding for the charity sector fall substantially since March, and with the country now in another lockdown, it seems the struggle is far from over. Now the grant-giving charity is urging people to give what they can once again to help keep the region’s communities afloat.
If unable to support financially Heart of England is encouraging people to reach out and spread positivity by volunteering, donating supplies or taking the time to check in on the vulnerable people. Those that do are being asked to connect with the Foundation on social media through the hashtag #DoMoreLocal.
Tina Costello, Chief Executive at Heart of England Community Foundation, comments: “The last few months have been hard for everyone and as we head into the winter months, we want to ensure that community spirit is prevalent in our region so that we can support and lift our neighbourhoods during these difficult times. All of the donations that we receive will help to fund the vital services that hold our communities together.
“But it’s not just about the money, everyone can contribute in their own way. We want people to support the most vulnerable in their communities. We want photos, videos and stories so we can share some positivity this winter. Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #DoMoreLocal!”
In the last eight months the Foundation has supported over 585 community projects across the region. Without this response, many of the vital services, which have supported our communities throughout the pandemic, would have been unable to continue operating.
“We were overwhelmed by the response to our last appeal. We received such generous donations and couldn’t be more grateful to the support from our region. As we head into long and dark nights, we hope that you can support us in any way you can and help us help those who need it the most!” concluded Tina.
More information about the Foundation’s Winter Wellbeing campaign can be found here.
Heart of England Community Foundation raised over ?4 through the Coronavirus Resilience Appeal earlier this year and is now targeting a ? milestone by raising a further ?6.