Organisations - including those who have already received grants - are being urged to apply for funding to support the community through Covid-19
Organisations that are leading the community response to Covid-19 are being urged to apply for funding.
Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, has announced that is welcoming additional applications from previous applicants to its crisis fund. Eligible groups that have already applied can now reapply for additional support to continue to help the most vulnerable who are suffering through the crisis.
Launched in March, Foundation Scotland’s crisis fund was the first source of community funding to open as the coronavirus pandemic hit the country. The Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund has so far distributed over £3.3 million to communities across the length and breadth of the country. Working in partnership with the National Emergencies Trust, the fund paused to new applications in June to take time to review and reopened again with a focus on ‘recovery’ last month.
Helen Wray, programme manager at Foundation Scotland, said: “We absolutely understand the pressures that charities and community groups are facing through the crisis. Funding is becoming harder to secure and demand for essential services is often higher than ever before. Across the sector, we are all working relentlessly to get support to where it is needed most through this challenging time.
“We work closely with our applicants and funded projects to understand their needs and through this process we have recognised the need to allow previous applicants the opportunity to apply again. We are therefore taking proactive steps to encourage previous applicants to get back in touch with us and apply for support where they need it most.”
The Foundation Scotland Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund offers grants of between £1,000-£5,000 to constituted community groups and small registered charities. The fund is currently in its ‘recovery’ phase supporting organisations to plan ahead, to continue their operations in the ‘new normal’, re-establish or re-design their activities to comply with new regulations. Examples of projects include those needing support to restart face to face services, counselling groups helping those experiencing mental health issues, bereavement and domestic abuse support services and organisations needing to increase hygiene policies to safely reopen.
Foundation Scotland is eager to distribute funds quickly to communities in need and is appealing to eligible groups to apply quickly as they respond and recover from the crisis. For more information and to apply now, visit the foundation’s website.
