In 2020, Guernsey’s Social Investment Fund (SIF) launched the Covid-19 Community Charity Appeal to support charities which have been badly affected by the pandemic and which have provided support to the community during the crisis.
The Appeal is still able to provide support to affected charities, whose situation may have worsened with the current lockdown. Any charities in difficulty are able to apply for assistance.
The Appeal has been incredibly successful, with almost £455,000 raised by generous public donations from individuals, businesses and charitable trusts.
SIF made a commitment to match fund the total amount raised from the public with its own funds if needed. So far, nearly £470,000 has been distributed to a wide range of charitable organisations, filling serious gaps in funding for many charities, and providing funds for additional services to several that were involved in the front line response to the pandemic.
Applications from charities for Appeal funding should fit into one of the following criteria:
- Priority A – New schemes proposed by charities or community groups to support the community at this time;
- Priority B – To support charities which are now in financial difficulty as a result of the coronavirus situation from decreased income or increased services.
To apply, charities should request an application form from SIF’s Lead Officer, Sadie Siviter de Paucar, by emailing Sadie Siviter de Paucar or by calling 07839 239994.
Although SIF has allocated its own match funding to the Appeal, anyone wishing to support the Appeal can still make a donation by online transfer to:
Account name: Social Investment Fund; Sort code: 60 09 20; Account number: 70956421
Further information on the SIF Appeal, including a list of Appeal recipients can be found here
Jurat Stephen Jones OBE, Chair of the Social Investment Fund said: “We recognise that this second lockdown is going to cause further financial difficulties for charities, many of which provide critical aspects of the community’s response to the virus. Making sure they have the funds they need to survive and respond to this crisis is essential”.
The Social Investment Fund has recently launched both a Small and Major grants programme to support the financial sustainability of the Bailiwick’s charitable sector. More information on these programmes can be found here or by contacting Sadie.
