Coronavirus Response Fund distributes £150,360 in next grant awards

24th April 2020

Sonya Allan

A further 33 local charities and community groups have benefited from our Coronavirus Response Funding from the latest round of grant awards, totalling £150,360. These grants have been made available to help the county’s most vulnerable people during the Coronavirus pandemic.

It is thanks to the generosity of local people, businesses and funding from the National Emergencies Trust Appeal that we have raised a staggering £970,000 to date.

The fund, which has been set up to support the inspiring local initiatives who are getting food to our most vulnerable, supporting our most isolated elderly residents, and adapting other vital services to ensure people with the highest needs continue receiving the help they require, has awarded out over £550,000 in grants.

Below is just one example of how these grants will make a difference to the lives of people in Surrey:

Stripey Stork received funding towards emergency baby supplies to continue their work offering support for vulnerable local families. Based in Reigate, the charity collects donations of toys, clothes and other essential items for babies and children and, after checking they meet current UK safety standards, rehome them with local families experiencing hardship.

The Foundation awarded Stripey Stork their first ever grant of £1,400 to assist in setting up the baby bank, back in 2013 and has supported their work ever since.

Stripey Stork has been able to respond to an additional 532 requests of help since the crisis started thanks to vital emergency funding.

“We really appreciate your support. It makes such a difference when we know the funds will be administered by the Community Foundation – we trust that you know the area, the challenges and the up to date stats. You keep up to date on the work local groups are doing. It has to make a huge difference in making sure the funds get to the right place.”

Nicola Dawes – Founder and General Manager, Stripey Stork

The remaining 32 grants can be found here:

  1. Bloomin’ Arts received funding towards their essential running costs to continue their work supporting adults with learning difficulties
  1. Brightwells Gostrey Centre received funding to provide a delivery meal service to the elderly and isolated in the Farnham area
  1. Caterham Foodbank received funding to support the increase in demand for the foodbank, serving local people
  1. Challengers received funding for IT support to enable their work supporting disabled children and young people to continue at this time
  1. Citizens Advice Waverley were awarded funding to implement IT solutions to enable them to continue supporting vulnerable people in Waverley
  1. Citizens Advice Woking received funding for IT equipment and increased salary costs to assist their work supporting vulnerable Woking residents
  1. Community Debt Advice (CDA) received funding to support their team to work remotely, and extra salary costs for working overtime, to continue their debt advice service to local residents in times of trouble
  1. Coronavirus Aid Chelsham, Farleigh and Warlingham received funding to support their work helping vulnerable people at this time. The group provide subsidised food boxes to those on low incomes, a delivery scheme for shopping and prescription collection, as well as welfare calls and visits to lonely residents
  1. Crossroads Care Surrey received funding towards the purchase and first years’ rental cost of a VOIP telephone system to continue their work supporting unpaid carers across Surrey
  1. East Surrey Domestic Abuse Services received funding to upgrade their phone system to enable their work supporting victims of domestic abuse remotely
  1. Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre received a contribution towards their essential running costs, to continue their work supporting people with dyslexia
  1. Home-Start Epsom, Ewell & Banstead received funding to continue their work supporting vulnerable families across East Surrey
  1. I’m all ears received funding to provide 190 hours of free counselling to people in Waverley who are struggling during the Coronavirus pandemic
  1. Oasis Childcare Centre were awarded funding towards their essential running costs to continue their work offering support to families on low incomes that has been exacerbated by the crisis
  1. Parity For Disability were awarded funding to meet staff costs to help the continuation of their work supporting adults with profound disabilities
  1. Peer Productions received funding towards online classes to teach young females with learning disabilities about online safety
  1. RASASC Guildford received funding to convert their service to remote working; the charity supports those who have suffered from rape and sexual abuse
  1. Relate Mid-Surrey received funding for salary costs and Zoom licences to transition from face to face counselling to online counselling services
  1. SeeAbility received funding for an Advice Line for Carers working during the Coronavirus pandemic, to continue their work supporting people with sight loss and disabilities
  1. SHIFA received funding to continue their work supporting vulnerable and isolated Asian women across Woking, via online help sessions
  1. Sight for Surrey received funding for IT and phone costs to continue their work supporting people with sight and hearing loss
  1. Spurgeons received funding to support bulk buying of essential items, to enable vulnerable families across Elmbridge to have food, baby items etc.
  1. St Catherine’s Hospice received funding towards their essential running costs to provide end of life care to patients across East Surrey
  1. Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership were awarded funding towards additional mentoring support and a bursary to pay for online learning platforms. The charity helps unemployed adults back into employment
  1. Tandridge Voluntary Action received funding towards overtime salary costs, to co-ordinate the rise in volunteer activity at this crucial time and to support local volunteers
  1. The Artventure Trust Ltd received a contribution to their salary costs to continue their work offering arts-based activities for isolated people with disabilities in Guildford
  1. The Lightbox in Woking received costs to deliver arts-based support to elderly, isolated and vulnerable clients during the outbreak
  1. The Lucy Rayner Foundation was awarded funding to provide free counselling for those struggling during the outbreak; the organisation works to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms around depression and mental-ill health
  1. The Sunnybank Trust received funding towards activity packs and provision for a radio show to continue supporting adults with learning disabilities at this time
  1. Woking and Sam Beare Hospices received funding towards the salary of a temporary member of staff working at the hospice, based in Woking
  1. YMCA East Surrey received funding to produce online exercise programmes for people with health conditions, whilst isolating during the Coronavirus pandemic


More donations needed

It is thanks to the generosity of local donors that we have been able to launch this local response Fund. We are incredibly grateful for all the donations received so far, but we are still urgently seeking further contributions. More vital funding is needed to continue to support the level of urgent requests for support we are receiving.

If you would like to donate to the Fund, you can do so via the secure online Virgin Money Giving page or by direct bank transfer. If you would like to donate via bank transfer, please contact Laura Thurlow on 01483 478086 or email Laura@cfsurrey.org.uk.

If you are interested in applying for Coronavirus Response Funding, we encourage you to read the eligibility guidelines and apply online here. Applications can be made either by filling out a short online form or by selecting a time for a telephone interview with a CFS volunteer.