Today (1 July 2020), Trust for London has pledged an additional £1 million to the London Community Response to help community and voluntary organisations in London.
The new wave of funding – which is being coordinated by London Funders and opens for applications today – is available to civil society organisations across the capital. Over 60 funders are now involved in the collaboration which has distributed £20m of funding so far to organisations across all 33 boroughs of London.
Three types of grants are available; crisis, enable and adapt.
Crisis grants
are for organisations that need to urgently provide food, essentials and support to communities through the crisis.
Enable grants
support work that helps to prevent difficulties arising from the crisis escalating, and that enables people to emerge from crisis.
Adapt grants
help organisations to restart, adapt or collaborate for the future.
Organisations can apply for up to £50,000 for grants lasting for up to six months, though it can be for a shorter period (e.g. activities over the summer).
Through all the funding programmes priority is being given to:
Equity and inclusion
Organisations led by and for marginalised communities and those most affected by the Covid-19 crisis (particularly Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME); Deaf and Disabled; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+); and/or women’s-led groups)
Strong connections
Groups who reach and connect with people at high risk of negative impacts from Covid-19 (in terms of health outcomes, as well as social and economic issues)
Smaller organisations
typically those with a turnover of up to £1m a year as well as grassroots and much smaller groups too.
“The London Community Response was quickly set up in the wake of the pandemic to provide vital funds to support communities in need. In March, Trust for London contributed £500,000 to support the emergency response and we are pleased to contribute an additional £1 million to support communities which have faced disproportionate challenges posed by the pandemic. The fund has been a great example of how the sector can work together to best support vulnerable Londoners and communities affected by the pandemic.”
"As Chair of London Funders, I am constantly inspired by the partnership between so many funders in the capital coming together behind the London Community Response to covid-19. Launching the next wave of funding has been no mean feat: the combined efforts of so many to keep supporting the sector as their needs grow and change during the pandemic. As we look to the future, this partnership will continue to do that, adapting their response to suit the needs as they evolve, whatever they may be.”
For more details, visit the dedicated London Community Response website.
