The Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund gives small grants to vital projects supporting the community response to Covid-19
More than 500 small charities across Scotland have accessed vital funding to support their response to the coronavirus.
Foundation Scotland has given out more than £2.2m to over 530 groups delivering essential support through the crisis.
Delivered in partnership with the National Emergencies Trust, the Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund allows eligible groups to apply for grants of between £1,000 and £5,000.
The new emergency support fund has been set up to support small charities and constituted groups that are rapidly adapting and responding to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic to reach the most affected people through Covid-19.
Examples of projects funded to date include support to reach vulnerable people that are self-isolating, vital help for foodbanks, aid for community response co-ordination, the purchase of safety equipment for caring groups and funds for those supporting health and wellbeing needs.
The funding is aimed at smaller charities and community projects, and has been adapted to focus on supporting organisations with an income of less than £125,000 a year.
Milan Senior Welfare Organisation, which provides care to elderly and vulnerable South Asian communities in and around Edinburgh, received £5,000 from the new fund. This essential financial aid has helped support the charity’s invaluable outreach services, hot meal services and info and advice sessions.
The charity’s manager Sophia Latif said: “Milan Senior Welfare Organisation is very thankful to Foundation Scotland for supporting us during the pandemic with such urgency enabling us to provide critical support to vulnerable older people with limited awareness due to language barriers. Through this project, we have also been able to provide hot meals and food parcels citywide in Edinburgh to ensure that older people and self-isolating carers remain safe and healthy indoors.”
Foundation Scotland is appealing to other organisations in need to come forward and apply. The foundation has designed a quick and simple online application form and is operating a swift turnaround time of just 72-hours so that groups receive support as quickly as possible.
The fund was launched at the end of March, before the impact that the pandemic would have on communities was known, as it was recognised that rapid response would be key to offering groups support.
Foundation Scotland introduced a team of freelance assessors to ensure a speedy and efficient turn around for vital funding, with terms and conditions built into the applications process and faster banking transfers arranged. Funders such as Foundation Scotland, Corra Foundation, The Robertson Trust and William Grant & Sons Foundation have been working together – alongside voluntary sector representatives – and the Scottish Government to ensure funds are directed where they are most needed and avoid unnecessary duplication.
Further information and the applications process can be found on the Foundation Scotland website.
You can donate to the National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal here.
