Lambeth Funders and Business Pledge More than £0.5million to tackle Covid-19 Crisis
Walcot Foundation Press Release – 16/4/2020
LAMBETH FUNDERS AND BUSINESS PLEDGE MORE THAN £0.5MILLION TO TACKLE COVID-19 CRISIS
Low-income individuals and families in Lambeth are especially vulnerable to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as experiencing a detrimental effect on both general physical and mental health, people are struggling to put food on the table, and families in overcrowded flats without access to a home computer are struggling to keep up with children’s education and to maintain contact with others outside.
Organisations and individuals in Lambeth have responded creatively to this crisis. Foodbanks have quickly shifted to delivering food to guests facing poverty and hunger. Education projects and homework clubs have begun ways of providing support by telephone and internet. Now local funders and local business have come together to create a Lambeth-specific fund for projects helping low-income and vulnerable Lambeth residents. With contributions from Walcot Foundation (£250,000), urban health foundation Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity (£250,000), Peter Minet Trust (£25,000) and Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd, a total of £545,000 has been ringfenced for Lambeth communities to tackle the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on local people.
This local Lambeth Community Response Fund will be managed by Walcot Foundation, which has supported Lambeth people for more than 350 years. Local community organisations and charities can apply through the London Community Reponse portal, so that these local grants are co-ordinated with the wider pan-London effort to deal with the impact of Covid19
Apply to London Community Response
Walcot Foundation Director, Hugh Valentine, says: ‘People in our community are facing unprecedented challenges. Community organisations are stepping up to help them, and we’re here to support them to do that. We welcome this new partnership with local funders and business, which will help protect and strengthen people who are vulnerable or on low incomes through Covid-19 and beyond.’
If you are a funder or business interested in contributing to the Lambeth Community Response Fund, please contact Daniel Chapman, Grants Manager, Walcot Foundation – daniel.chapman@walcotfoundation.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITOR
Walcot Foundation is Lambeth's principal independent funder. We help make change happen for those affected by modern day poverty and disadvantage. Over the ten years to March 2020 we made 3,372 grants totaling £19,655,000. Through our grantmaking we create opportunities and possibilities www.walcotfoundation.org.uk
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity is an independent, place-based foundation. They work with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and others to improve the health of people in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark. www.gsttcharity.org.uk
Peter Minet Trust is an independent funder distributing around £200,000 a year in grants to small and inspiring charities that are embedded in their communities, helping residents in Lambeth and Southwark overcome severe and multiple challenges. www.peterminet.org.uk
London Community Response Fund (https://londoncommunityresponsefund.org.uk/): London’s funders are working together to provide coordinated funding to support groups responding to the needs of communities affected by the covid-19 pandemic. Funding is available for urgent needs (up to £10K), as well as supporting organisations to deliver services in new ways to support communities, and to ensure that their longer-term needs are considered by the funding community (up to £50K).
