£80k disaster fund created for charities

Monday 25 May 2020

A disaster funding pot of £80,000 made up of donations from the UK and the local charity regulator has been created to support organisations supporting islanders during the virus crisis.

Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are to receive awards of £40,000 each from the UK National Emergencies Trust (NET) which was set up in the wake of the Manchester terror attack and the Grenfell Tower disaster to provide emergency funding.

In Jersey, the Association of Jersey Charities (AJC) is matching the NET’s donation – creating a crisis fund of £80,000 available immediately for local charities and voluntary organisations supporting islanders affected by covid-19. 

This includes the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, people with a disability, homeless people, those with addictions and anyone at risk of domestic violence.

The Association has been appointed to distribute the funds.

AJC Chairman Liz Le Poidevin said: “The AJC is delighted to have been appointed to administer this money on behalf of NET, acknowledging our expertise in the distribution of public funds. We recently introduced a new online grant application process supported by a digital back office to help track the reach and impact of our grants. We will be distributing the NET funds in addition to our usual quarterly grant programme for local charities.”

The maximum award for any one charity will be £10,000, and further details and criteria for charities wanting to apply can be found via the dedicated Covid-19 hub on the AJC website.