CAF’s Coronavirus Emergency Fund is supporting small charities around the UK.

An emergency fund set up in March to support small charities during the coronavirus pandemic has already distributed more than £1 million in grants.

The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) said 256 charities around the UK had already benefited from its Coronavirus Emergency Fund, which was launched in March in response to the ongoing crisis.

CAF made an initial £5m available through the fund in order to distribute rapid response grants of up to £10,000 to help small charities, non-profits and social enterprises that are struggling with the impact of the pandemic.

Applications to the fund have now been paused after more than 5,000 were received in just one week, requesting a combined total of over £40m.

Monica Brown, CAF’s head of charity advisory and programmes, said: “We have been humbled by the charities out there that are doing everything they can to continue to operate at such a tough time. We are very proud to be able to offer some help to charities working so hard on behalf of people, causes and communities across the UK.

“I am pleased to see that we have been able to get more than £1 million in help to charities in a matter of weeks and it is our plan to grow this fund so that we will be in a position to help more small organisations to continue to deliver vital services in the weeks and months ahead.”

The fund enables people and businesses to securely get help to small charitable organisations to cover core costs such as staffing. Grants can also be used to cover volunteer costs, such as paying for petrol for deliveries to those self-isolating or equipment such as SIM cards for volunteers who are keeping in touch with vulnerable people over the phone.

More information about the fund can be found on the CAF website.

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