Andrew has been sent details of funding packages for COVID-19 charities hit by the Covid-19 crisis by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.

Part of the Government’s response to the pandemic has been a £750 million support package to ensure voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors could remain operating. The scheme is by far the most generous in Europe for the charity sector.

Over 13,000 charities across the country received direct funding towards continuing their work. This was complimented with other support programmes, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

The total figure was broken down into multiple schemes, including a £200 million Coronavirus Community Support Fund – designed to buttress small and medium sized charities.

Of this, £183,295 was received by six local charities in South West Wiltshire. They included, Collaborative Schools, HELP Counselling Services, Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, Larkrise Community Farm, Vehicles for Change, and Fairfield Farm Trust.

Dr Murrison warmly welcomed the support, saying:

“I’m very glad DCMS applied to the Government earlier in the year for this grant and that the money was secured.

“The grants given through the Coronavirus Community Support Fund have especially helped to prop up vital bastions of charity within the local community.”