We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Emergency loans will also be offered from this week to struggling smaller charities hit by a dramatic fall in donations. All the major high street banks have handed over cash from inactive accounts for charitable causes over the last nine years, with more than £600 million raised in total. Ministers are consulting on expanding the scheme to cover other dormant assets, such as pensions.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Charities and social enterprises are playing a vital role in our national effort against coronavirus. 

“This funding will support organisations that are at the heart of their communities, building on our unprecedented package of financial support for the voluntary sector.

“Through our proposals to further expand the dormant assets scheme, we want to unlock hundreds of millions more pounds for good causes, while keeping customer protection at the heart of the programme.”

It comes as the National Lottery coronavirus community support fund opens for bids from small charities on Friday.

Around £200 million of funding will be available for organisations supporting people and communities hit hardest during the pandemic.

Mr Dowden said the government had also matched every penny raised by the BBC’s Big Night In event and more than £70 million is now being distributed by Comic Relief to frontline organisations.

He said the UK’s charities have been “at the forefront” of the national effort to fight coronavirus.

Source: Read Full Article