Charities appeal

Good causes in fight to survive

WHEN CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak announced a £750m bailout for charities last month, he rightly noted that such organisations had a crucial role to play in the fight against coronavirus by supporting those most in need.

But while that money was indeed vital in ensuring key services such as hospices could keep going, the bleak reality is that the sector expects to lose a combined £4bn in three months and as the Chancellor himself conceded, the Government’s rescue package will not be able to save all of them.

The crisis has been a perfect storm for charities; from shops shutting, older volunteers self-isolating, fundraising events postponed and normally reliable supporters having to tighten their pursestrings due to the huge economic impact of the pandemic on jobs and businesses.

Many in Yorkshire that provide vital services are now fearing for their future; to name just one, the Wellspring Therapy and Training organisation in Harrogate which provides mental health services to hundreds of children and adults has launched an urgent fundraising appeal.

The need for as many charities as possible to survive the pandemic is even more important given how such organisations have plugged the gap in many areas over the past decade as austerity measures hit the abilities of councils to offer such services. The nation has come together for the NHS in the past few months, exemplified by the record-breaking backing of the public for Captain Tom Moore’s laudable fundraising efforts. But now countless good causes that have helped millions need support of their own.