With another national lockdown in force and a ‘long, hard winter’ on the horizon, charities and community projects alike are set to face more devastating months ahead. To help ease the pressure, the Foundation wants to offer a helping hand, launching its new campaign, ‘Winter Wellbeing’, not just to raise money but to encourage people to give back to their community.
The Foundation raised over £400k through the Coronavirus Resilience Appeal earlier this year and is now targeting a £1m milestone by raising a further £600k!
Thanks to that appeal, and support from the National Emergencies Trust, the Foundation has issued over £3.5m to grassroot causes that are addressing the effects of COVID-19 in the West Midlands and Warwickshire.
The pandemic has seen funding for the charity sector fall substantially since March, and with the country going into another lockdown at the beginning of this month, it seems the struggle is far from over. Now the Foundation is urging people to give what they can once again to help keep the region’s communities afloat.
If unable to support financially Heart of England is encouraging people to reach out and spread positivity by volunteering, donating supplies or taking the time to check in on the vulnerable in their community. Those that do are being asked to connect with the Foundation on social media through the hashtag #DoMoreLocal.
Tina Costello, Chief Executive at the Foundation, comments:
“The last few months have been hard for everyone and as we head into the winter months, we want to ensure that community spirit is prevalent in our region so that we can support and lift our neighbourhoods during these difficult times. All of the donations that we receive will help to fund the vital services that hold our communities together.
“But it’s not just about the money, everyone can contribute in their own way. We want people to support the most vulnerable in their communities. We want photos, videos and stories so we can share some positivity during this winter. Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #DoMoreLocal!”
In the last eight months the Foundation has supported over 585 community projects across the region. Without this response, many of the vital services, which have supported our communities throughout the pandemic, would have been unable to continue operating. Tina added:
“We were overwhelmed by the response to our last appeal. We received such generous donations and couldn’t be more grateful to the support from our region. As we head into long and dark nights, we hope that you can support us in any way you can and help us help those who need it the most!”
For more information about the Foundation’s Winter Wellbeing campaign, click here.
To donate to the Winter Wellbeing campaign, click here.