An emergency support fund has been set up to support civil society groups during the outbreak of coronavirus Covid-19.

Grants of up to £5,000 are now available to help groups cope with increased demand on their services, a rise in staff and volunteer absences and reduced fundraising activities.

The first round of funding is focused on providing food and essential items such as mobile phones, data and cleaning products, to allow groups to carry on providing support to Londoners.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has contributed £1 million to the fund, matched with £6 million from City Bridge Trust, Bloomberg and Trust for London.

A second wave of funding will be released in early April for larger grants, service transformation costs and ongoing work to support communities.

Organisations can apply for the fund through the London Community Response Fund website, which is here: https://londoncommunityresponsefund.org.uk/

London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore AM said: “This is a really tough time for everybody, but especially the vulnerable, so the work of community and voluntary organisations is now more important than ever.

“There are thousands of vulnerable people in our borough that are reliant on the services of these groups, from their support for those on low incomes to their work to reach out to victims of domestic abuse.

“In a whole host of ways, the Covid-19 outbreak has put civil society organisations under intense pressures. This is why I am urging eligible local groups to bid for a share of this emergency support fund.

“In addition, I would encourage all Londoners, who are in a position to do so, to find ways that they can help in their communities through the GLA’s dedicated volunteering page”.

The GLA’s volunteering page is available here: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/volunteering/coronavirus-covid-19-volunteering