The National Emergencies Trust fundraising appeal has now raised £16m, and nearly half of it has already been passed to community foundations to distribute.
The appeal was launched two weeks ago in partnership with the British Red Cross, and last week the first tranche of £2.5m was made available to struggling charities.
Today it announced that a further £5m has now been given to the UK Community Foundations network to pass on to its membership of 46 local community foundations across the country.
Businesses and charitable trusts across the UK, as well as the public, have donated to the appeal, including corporate donors such as BT, Tesco, HSBC, M&S and the National Grid.
Important to reach communities quickly
Rosemary Macdonald, interim chief executive of UK Community Foundations, said: “We’re seeing unprecedented demand for support from those in need across our society. We’re working to make sure that donations reach communities quickly and in response to particular needs, so that we are properly supporting the most vulnerable as best we can.”
John Herriman, chief executive of the National Emergencies Trust, said: “Our work may have started but there is still much more to do. We’re asking the public to get behind the appeal and make a contribution if possible, or to spread the word to help raise awareness.
“Everyone who donates can be confident their money is reaching those in need quickly and making an instant difference to the most vulnerable in our communities at this difficult time.”
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