Wiltshire Community Foundation's Covid Response to keep going

The charity's appealing for continued support while we're in lockdown 3

They have money to more than 199 groups, including the team packing food boxes at St Paul's Church in Salisbury
Author: Faye TryhornPublished 13th Jan 2021

The Wiltshire Community Foundation (WCF) Coronavirus Response Fund was set up 10 months ago, as a way of supporting charities and voluntary groups across the county to carry on and adapt their work through the pandemic.

It's been hugely successful, with more than £1.2 million raised and over £1 million given back out through 220 grants.

But with the ongoing crisis, the Fund's being relaunched for 2021, as WCF believes even more groups will need support as time goes on.

Wiltshire Creative is planning to send out craft bags to families and isolated older people

Many of the groups that the Fund has supported already during the pandemic are restarting their lockdown services, or are likely to see demand rising in the coming weeks.

Wiltshire Creative in Salisbury distributed hundreds of craft bags to isolated youngsters during the second lockdown, and this time around hopes to do even more.

Take Part Director Louise Dancy says they want to support children from low income families in particular with their wellbeing:

"We want to continue the craft bags and extend the offer to include isolated older people.

"What we provided before was really valued and we were proud of what we were able to achieve but we were aware there is a whole other group of people who would benefit from an activity."

Kate Brayne from the Wylye Coyotes is stepping up to help others during lockdown

Wylye Coyotes will once again be taking out food parcels to isolated and shielding people in Codford and the surrounding villages, in support of the FareShare scheme which takes in supplies from supermarkets.

Director Kate Brayne said:

"We'll be supporting vulnerable families with the food and working with the Wylye Valley Group of Churches to identify more isolated people.

"I think there is going to be more need this time round because people are so dispirited by this lockdown. Being able to step up quickly, just to reassure people that there is going to be help out there, is going to be important."

The team from Help Counselling in Wiltshire say they're seeing an increase in demand due to the pandemic

Help Counselling Services, which provides low cost or free counselling to hundreds of people across Wiltshire, including in Salisbury, expects the lockdown to trigger a new surge of inquiries.

Chief executive Amanda Wilkes said:

"In the second lockdown we saw people feeling so much worse than the first one because of the cumulative effect of going back there again. Over Christmas we saw 12 or 13 applications for counselling come in and that's not normal, it is usually quiet. We have seen a really big rise in people accessing our services over the last year and we have more counsellors than we've ever had.

"We are seeing families falling to pieces, people unable to cope with the stress and anxiety about family, money and a general lack of spontaneity in life. There's a real lack of hope. My expectations are that we are going to see that rise."

WCF WILL KEEP GOING

Wiltshire Community Foundation joint chief executive Fiona Oliver has assured charities that they will continue to be there for small charities who need support and guidance:

"We have been constantly amazed and inspired by the resilience and determination of the grass roots groups we fund as they adapt their services to ensure they are there for those who need them.

"Our Coronavirus Response Fund has been a vital resource for them and we hope with the support of the public it will be again as we all rise to the challenges of this third lockdown."

You can find out more about the Wiltshire Community Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund, and donate directly, on the WCF website.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.