Wiltshire organisation warning about financial future of voluntary sector
They have helped almost 200 groups over the past year
Wiltshire Community Foundation have published their 'Covid Report' and are warning about the financial future of the voluntary sector.
They are concerned that a lack of fundraising events and a loss of revenue over the past 12 months has taken it's toll on many community groups across the county.
The study, in partnership with Wessex Community Action and Community First, found 62% of charities in the county have seen their income fall.
The report said:
"Wiltshire Community Foundation, along with many of our colleagues in the sector, has sent a public message to the government highlighting that charities urgently need an Emergency Support Fund so they can provide the vital services that are desperately needed at community level.
The sector as a whole faces a ÂŁ10 billion gap between the amount of income it expects to have and the demand on services."
They have also praised the work of charities who have helped keep the county safe during the pandemic.
Wiltshire Citizens Advice has seen an 84% rise in people claiming Universal Credit and a 600% rise in workers asking for redundancy advice, meanwhile counselling charity Ipsum has seen a 50% rise in clients.
OVER ÂŁ1 MILLION DONATED
Just as the country went into it's first national lockdown in March 2020, Wiltshire Community Foundation set up it's Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund.
Their aim was to use any money donated to help support community groups across the country with projects and stability.
Over a year later and they have been able to distribute more than ÂŁ1.1 million to 199 different groups.
This money has benefitted more than 154,000 people.
Joint Chief Executive Fiona Oliver said they were three main objectives with this iniative.
These were help groups respond to the immediate crisis, assist them in adapting to social isolation rules and to ensure they were around for the long term in the face of plummeting incomes.
Staff decided to streamline its grants application and assessment process so that the money pouring in from individual donors, trusts and businesses could be turned round quickly.
Mrs Oliver said:
"We acknowledged that the speed of distributing that money to the charities and groups delivering emergency services for vulnerable people was crucial.
Grant decisions were made overnight by a group of trustees and we introduced daily payment runs to ensure grants got to where they were needed as soon as possible.
We hope the report will give people a sense of the enormity of the effort made by thousands of volunteers in Wiltshire to protect the county, particularly those who were already in poverty or disadvantaged and were the hardest hit.
We also hope it will be a timely reminder that our Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund will continue throughout 2021 and as a foundation we have committed to investing ÂŁ10 million in our local communities by 2025."
You can continue to donate to the fund by visiting their website.