Coronavirus
Response Fund
The Surrey Coronavirus Response Fund brings together those wishing to give with those providing positive solutions in our local communities.
The Community Foundation for Surrey has been doing this for 15 years; the Response Fund is our newest campaign to help meet the increased demand on local charities and voluntary organisations that are assisting Surrey’s most vulnerable people right now.
Case Studies
SURREY CHARITIES DESPERATELY IN NEED OF FURTHER FUNDING
1 in 8 people living in the UK expect to seek support from a charity or voluntary body in the next 12 months, as a direct result of challenges created by Covid-19. For more than half (61%) of these people, it will be the first time they have ever sought charitable support. The Community Foundation for Surrey urges local support to alleviate the urgent pressures facing our communities. READ MORE
Building relationships and growing with our young people
It is currently unknown what the long-term effects of lockdown and the pandemic will have on young people and their mental health. east to west is a Surrey based charity supporting over 1,000 local children, young people and their families. We learn how their effective mental health support is a long-term commitment, investing time and energy into developing trusting relationships with their young people. READ MORE
Coming together to address Domestic Abuse in Surrey
According to Charlotte Kneer, Chief Executive of Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid, the county of Surrey is a “leading example” of a local authority that recognises the critical need of these safe refuge spaces for women fleeing domestic abuse. Find out how, together with local partners, we are supporting this prevalent Surrey issue. READ MORE
A big thank you to our Donors and Partners
Response Fund grants awarded by Borough
Latest News and Media
Loneliness and Isolation Webinar
There are an estimated 232,000 people aged 65+ living in Surrey. Almost 60,000 of these live alone. Our webinars bring together local people and those providing positive solutions, to share the insights and real stories of local people affected, now more than ever, by these issues. READ MORE
SURREY CHARITIES DESPERATELY IN NEED OF FURTHER FUNDING
1 in 8 people living in the UK expect to seek support from a charity or voluntary body in the next 12 months, as a direct result of challenges created by Covid-19. For more than half (61%) of these people, it will be the first time they have ever sought charitable support. The Community Foundation for Surrey urges local support to alleviate the urgent pressures facing our communities. READ MORE
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR SURREY AWARDS OVER £87,000 TO DOMESTIC ABUSE CHARITIES
We have just awarded over £87,000 to Surrey Domestic Abuse Partnership, a formal partnership of four independent charities, that have come together to support survivors of domestic abuse across our county. READ MORE
What we are hearing from charities
Voluntary organisations across Surrey have adapted quickly and efficiently to continue supporting our vulnerable local residents, but many are now at a crisis point due to pressures brought on by the pandemic, including severe financial loss and the surge in demand for their services.
A recent report released by the National Emergencies Trust (NET) states that 1 in 8 people living in the UK expect to seek support from a charity or voluntary body in the next 12 months, as a direct result of challenges created by Covid-19. For more than half (61%) of these people, it will be the first time they have ever sought charitable support.
We have been working closely together with organisations across the county, to identify crucial areas where funding support from our community is most needed. Key issues and concerns include:
- Significant loss of income from all sources
- Significantly increased demand for services
- Lack of resilience in their organisations due to staff and services being stripped to minimal essential levels
- The human cost of the pandemic
- The long-term effects on communities – for years to come
Organisations are also increasingly having to deal with severe issues and worsening of conditions amongst their existing beneficiaries.
One local organisation that supports people with physical, mental and learning disabilities informed us: “Many of our customers have challenging behaviours and thrive on routine, and the uncertainty and restrictions have had a negative impact on them. Similarly, we support many people with acute mental health and anxiety issues, and the isolation and uncertainty has triggered a worsening of symptoms. There has been an increase in incidents of challenging behaviour and mental health crisis over the last two months”.
As the Coronavirus pandemic develops, we are regularly receiving more feedback from charities about the impact the virus and restrictions are having upon groups of beneficiaries.
Further findings can be found on the Data and Insights pages below.
Data and Insights
Reduced Income
Many organisations have seen significant proportions of their traditional funding streams cancelled during the pandemic and many are experiencing huge un-forecasted and unplanned losses of income. READ MORE
Increased Demand for Services
The National Emergencies Trust reported that one in six UK adults have sought charitable help in recent months as a direct result of the pandemic. For 70% of them it was the first time they had ever sought support from the sector. This is anticipated to continue. READ MORE
Domestic abuse
The National Domestic Abuse helpline saw a 25% increase in calls and online requests for help in the first couple of weeks after lockdown, according to the charity, Refuge. Find out how we are supporting charities with this increased demand. READ MORE
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