Minister unveils plan for £15m fund to help charities deal with impact of emergency
are under way to launch a Covid-19 Charities fund, valued in the region of £15m, to help support Northern Ireland charities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey revealed her plans yesterday.
She said: “I am acutely aware that our local charity sector, who do so much good work for such a diverse range of causes, are facing difficulties during these challenging times.
“Many in this sector have been at the front line in responding to the emergency and to supporting our most vulnerable citizens now and as we plan for recovery.”
The minister explained that her department are working quickly to develop a support programme — as she acknowledged the impact the pandemic was having on traditional fundraising.
She said: “My officials are urgently developing a Covid-19 Charities Fund, to assist chariplans ties to deal with the impacts of this emergency.
“I recognise the impact this emergency has had on traditional fundraising activities, and that this is a worrying time for many in the sector.
“The sector is made up of diverse groups doing fantastic work in our communities. Given this is a limited fund, it is important that the scheme is carefully considered and ensures the best possible use of the resources available, to support and prioritise needs within the sector.
“A public announcement will be made once the funding arrangements and the application process have been finalised and then agreed by the Executive.”
THE Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that there have been multiple requests for military assistance for patients during the Covid-19 outbreak.
No details of how the armed forces assisted were revealed, but the Ministry of Defence (MOD) stated that a Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft had “supported the first medical evacuation from Northern Ireland to the UK mainland during the coronavirus outbreak”.
A spokesperson for the MOD told the News Letter that the patient was taken from Aldergrove to East Midlands Airport “followthe ing a request for assistance” and that medical specialists were “on board to attend to the patient throughout the transfer”.
It is understood that the patient was critically ill and needed transported for specialist care when the incident took place last week. A source told the paper that it had been a “humanitarian” and “purely medical” mission.
Last month, Health Minister Robin Swann said that he would be formally asking for military assistance to the civil authorities but Sinn Fein objected as Mr Swann had failed to bring it to the Executive first.
The most significant military assistance would involve turning the Eikon Centre at the site of
former Maze Prison into a Nightingale hospital, if that were to go ahead.
A spokesperson for the DOH said: “The department is receiving military input on the design and specification of a Nightingale facility for a second wave of Covid-19 admissions.
“Formal requests for military assistance are most likely to be required in relation to immediate assistance to transport patients, staff or equipment at short notice or where commercial or other alternatives are not suitable.
“As requests for assistance to date have involved treatment for individual patients, it would not be appropriate to share further details of these.”
❝ The sector is made up of diverse groups doing fantastic work in our communities