Charities are desperate to regain face-to-face contact with clients and supporters

Reopening visitor attractions, community centres and permitting face-to-face contact with the people are what charities need in order to get back on their feet, according to a new survey by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

The survey of 539 charities was taken after the slight easing in lockdown measures in England was announced but most charities (75%) said the initial measures would have little or no impact on their ability to cope with the effects of the pandemic.

When asked to identify the steps that would make the biggest difference to their ability to reopen many of their services, almost one in three (28%) singled out a return to face-to-face contact with clients. Others pointed to reopening of community centres (18%) and visitor attractions such as museums and gardens (13%).

Susan Pinkney, head of research at CAF, said: “We know the effect of this crisis meant that just when so many charities were facing incredible demand for services, their ability to deliver was also curtailed.

“So many charities have impressed with their ability to move quickly to find another way of delivering services or teaming up with other charities and partners to help their communities.

“This survey tells us that charities, like so many others, are looking towards the future and trying to assess how they can rebuild their capacity safely.”

The reopening of charity shops and cafes were also listed as being factors that will help charities to resume their full services.

Charities have previously reported that they have made significant changes in response to the crisis with four in 10 (39%) saying they had found an alternative or innovative way to deliver a service (an example would be turning a soup kitchen into a meal delivery service for vulnerable people) and a quarter (25%) reported that they had found a new way to reach their beneficiaries, largely by relying on technology to keep in touch.