Community foundation’s Covid-19 help

isomiscEmergency2 copyTWO weeks after launching its Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Appeal on 20th March, with an initial aim to raise £100,000, Wiltshire Community Foundation has reported that the fund had received £250,000 in donations.

Within the first nine days the foundation had made grants of £125,454 to 32 community groups, providing immediate relief in Wiltshire communities.

Deepest Books made a donation of £10,000, the first from the proceeds of the sale of Deepest Wiltshire. Wiltshire Community Foundation is one of the three charities benefitting from the book (the others are SSAFA Wiltshire and Wiltshire Air Ambulance).

isomiscEmergency1 copyThe Wiltshire grants have included £43,879 to provide access to food – food banks and others providing food to those in need; £22,386 to help homeless people – including Alabare at Salisbury, Swindon Night Shelter, Doorway in Chippenham and the Amber Foundation in Trowbridge; £15,000 for victims of crime and domestic abuse – including £10,000 to Swindon Women’s Aid; £34,219 of remote support for vulnerable people – including grants to Alzheimer’s Support and Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living; and £9,970 to support local response volunteering.

The need for support is overwhelming, says the foundation, and is likely to continue for a long time.

If you would like to support this or the other local community foundation emergency funds, visit their websites or make a donation direct to the National Emergencies Trust, https://nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk/coronavirus/