GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR CHARITIES

The government has announced a total of £750m in funding for charities. This is new money, separate from the £300m which the National Lottery community fund (NLCF) announced they were bringing forward on 27 March.
Of the £750m, £370m is due to go to small and medium-sized charities. In England, this will be channelled through the National Lottery Community Fund and other organisations. It will support locally-focused charities doing most during the outbreak – such as delivering food and medicines and providing financial advice.
Another £360m will be allocated by government departments to charities providing essential services and supporting during the coronavirus crisis. Out of this total figure:

• up to £200m will support hospices
• funding is specifically allocated to St John Ambulance to support the NHS and Citizens Advice to allow more staff to provide advice.

The announcement also singled out vulnerable children’s charities delivering local services and victims’ charities, including domestic abuse, to help address rising demand. It’s not clear how much flexibility there will be for other types of need – disability charities are an obvious example – and we’d like more clarity on that.
The government also intends to match public donations to the BBC’s Big Night In charity appeal, with a minimum donation of £20m to the National Emergencies Trust.
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