£400k of public donations supporting charities that stepped up in lockdown
MORE than £450,000 has been distributed to Bailiwick charities which were badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The newly-formed Social Investment Fund launched the Covid-19 Community Charity Appeal earlier this year.
Its aim was to support charities that were badly hit by the pandemic and those that provided support to the community during the crisis.
Donations from individuals, businesses and charitable trusts raised £400,782 and SIF made a commitment to match the total amount raised from the public with its own funds if needed.
Over £450,000 has been distributed already, filling gaps in funding for many charities and providing funds for additional services to several that were involved in the front-line response to the pandemic.
Chairman of the SIF Jurat Stephen Jones OBE said 2020 saw the fund set up but then immediately reprioritise its strategy to better serve the needs of the community and local charities at a time of crisis.
'We have been delighted by the response of the public and send sincere thanks to all those who have donated,' he said.
'The Board of the Social Investment Fund is now excited to embark on its originally intended grants programmes which we hope will provide a new and highly valuable source of funding for the charitable sector.'
One of the largest grants was awarded to Safer. The fund and the Lloyds Bank Foundation of the Channel Islands donated £24,879 towards the cost of an independent domestic violence advisor to provide additional support as a result of increased domestic abuse victims during lockdown.
The Guernsey Sports Commission was awarded £25,000 towards a Sports Recovery Fund which benefited several sporting organisations hit hard by the pandemic.
Some charities received funding for new initiatives during lockdown, such as Men’s Shed Guernsey which ran ‘Shedcast’ sessions for its members to reduce isolation, Les Cotils for its ‘Food for Families’ initiative and the partnership project ‘Stay Connected’ which enabled older and vulnerable people to keep in touch with family and services during lockdown.
Several organisations were awarded grants which, along with supporting loss of income, provided additional funding for PPE and other equipment needed for Covid-19 as they kept running during lockdown, providing key services to the community.
These included Choices, the Cheshire Home, St John Ambulance Guernsey and Citizens Advice Guernsey.
Alderney charities were also supported, including the Alderney Wildlife Trust, the Cinema Club, the Bird Observatory and the Football Association.
The Appeal is still open for donations and applications for funding but SIF will be closing the appeal at the end of the year.
In the New Year SIF will launch two new grants programmes to benefit the charitable sector.
The small grants programme will effectively replace the Christmas Lottery Grants that were previously administered by the Association of Guernsey Charities and the major grants programme will support the financial sustainability of the charitable sector. Funding for both the small and major grants programmes will come from the net proceeds of the Channel Islands Lottery.
Grants will be made to support activities within the Bailiwick of Guernsey or those that benefit residents of the Bailiwick.
Jurat Jones added: 'This year has once again proved the value of the work that so many charities provide, especially during times of crisis.
'SIF is committed to working transparently, to the highest standards of governance, in the way we invest the public’s money back into the community. We look forward to providing regular reports on where and how funds are being invested through our new grants programmes.'
