Charities share £12m funding for helplines

A number of charities will receive a share of £12million to help run helpline services for people disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Age UK, Heads Together and Shelter are the latest groups to receive funding from the National Emergencies Trust's (NET) coron av i r u s a p p e a l t o help them support high-risk groups.

Some £1.5million will help support Age UK's national advice line, website and telephone friendship services and the Silver Line helpline.

Housing and homelessness charity Shelter will receive £1.47 million to employ 31 new advisers for its emergency helplines and the Heads Together coalition – which includes the mental health charity Mind – will receive a share to support Mind's infoline and web support.

More than half of the seven million people estimated to seek charity help in the next year will be doing so for the first time, according to an NET survey of 2,000 UK adults over summer.

One in eight people expect to turn to a charity in the next year, and 61% of these say this will be the first time they have received such help.

NET deputy chairman Gerald Oppenheim said: "Our partners are supporting at-risk g roup s at th e f ro nt line and our research shows millions of people expect to seek help from a charity for the first time in the coming year.

"For these people, being able to turn to a wellknown name, seek support close to home and use an anonymous service, such as a helpline or webchat, are priority factors in deciding where to turn to."