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Power to Change

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Project description

Power to Change is delivering £7m of emergency funding to community businesses

Community businesses and members of Plunkett Foundation, Locality and Co-operatives UK to cover loses in trading income resulting from Covid-19. Additionally, a £9.5 million fund has been made available by the National Lottery Community Fund to Power to Change which will be aimed at supporting community-led organisations facing financial impact from Covid-19, with a particular focus on BAME-Led organisations and those that support BAME communities. This is being delivered in partnership with Social Investment Business, the Ubele Initiative and Locality.

Is the funding opportunity still open?

The COVID-19 Community-Led Organisations Recovery Scheme will have three application rounds. Each round will have a short application window as we expect a high level of demand.   

Round Three – Tuesday 11 August, 10am-1pm

When each round is open, you can apply on the Power to Change website: https://www.powertochange.org.uk/get-support/programmes/covid-19-community-led-organisations-recovery-scheme/

What was your aim and why?

The aim of the emergency funding has been to support community businesses and community-led organisations facing financial difficulties due to Covid-19. Community-led organisations have played a crucial role in responding to the Covid-19 crisis at a local level. However, as many have seen demand for services increase, they are also facing large reductions in the income they generate through trading. These funds are aimed at enabling organisations to continue to deliver vital services in their communities, and to support them to shift business and delivery models in immediate response to Covid-19.

We know that Covid-19 has not affected all communities and people equally. The £9.5million funding for community-led organisations is specifically aimed at those organisations that help and support people and communities facing disproportionate impacts of Covid-19 and/or those that provide services and support for vulnerable people, for which there will be increased demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Research conducted in April found that if the crisis continued, close to 90% of community and BAME-led organisations would have to permanently close within three months. Data also shows that individuals from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities are disproportionately affected negatively by the virus, whilst also being disproportionately not awarded funding. We want to make sure that this fund targets money where it is most needed and therefore we are committed to distributing a proportion of our funding to organisations that are BAME-led and/or to organisations that work closely with BAME communities.

What was different about this?

Providing funding to cover a loss in trading income has enabled community businesses and community-led organisations to keep meeting needs in their communities, and to change how they do so. Within charitable activities, purposes or outcomes, successful applicants are able to spend the money flexibly, in the best way that meets the needs of their communities during Covid-19. Focussing on communities that are often under-represented in awarding of grants and that have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19 will enable the funding to reach the communities in which it could have the most impact.

What is the impact and benefit for people?

Community Businesses across the country have responded quickly to the changing needs of their communities and situations they find themselves in. From shifting all face-to-face services to online in a matter of days to a community pub closing its doors but opening a food delivery service for those in need within its community. Community businesses have worked tirelessly to support their communities, the emergency funding will enable them to keep doing so and to meet the needs of those most likely to be disproportionately impact.

More information

For more information on the £7million emergency support to community businesses https://www.powertochange.org.uk/news/emergency-support-community-businesses/

For the £9.5million Covid-19 Community-Led Organisations Recovery Scheme https://www.powertochange.org.uk/get-support/programmes/covid-19-community-led-organisations-recovery-scheme/

Local Heroes: How to sustain community spirit beyond Covid-19 https://www.powertochange.org.uk/blog/local-heroes-sustain-community-spirit-beyond-covid-19/