A partnership of funding organisations in Buckinghamshire has been supporting communities addressing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, distributing emergency funding since March 2020.
This strategic funding group is delighted to announce that they have now distributed over £1 million in grants to support local volunteering organisations, community groups, charities and individuals during this time of crisis.
The group, including Heart of Bucks, Buckinghamshire Council, The Clare Foundation, Leap, The Rothschild Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund have given out hundreds of small grants to support a range of local initiatives, including food bank provision, support for the elderly and isolated, increased mental health care and support for victims of domestic violence.
The group will continue to maximise funding opportunities for the many projects and activities that local community organisations and charities have set up in response to the pandemic and will now be shifting the emphasis of their funding to help the sector stabilise and recover.
Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, said:
“Through this funding partnership, we are able to prioritise areas of greatest need across the county, informed by our teams in the community and from Public Health. Thanks to this partnership, we have been able to distribute these grants in a coordinated and focused manner. This has ensured the best possible support to those fantastic voluntary and community groups who have been delivering on the ground throughout this challenging period”.
Henry Allmand, the Chief Executive of Heart of Bucks and Chair of the Funding Strategy Group, said;
“There has been tremendous work happening on the ground locally. I am extremely proud to have been part of the outstanding partnership that has contributed well over £1 million into the local charity and community sector in the past few months. Our work is not done, however, and we will continue to provide accessible funding to the Buckinghamshire community as our county recovers and stabilises from the effects of the pandemic.”