Life during lockdown

The voluntary and community sector (VCS) and the faith sector provide vital support services across London and the UK, now more than ever - but they are under increasing pressure at this difficult time.
 
Here’s what City Hall is doing to help community and volunteering organisations: 

• Investing £5m in the London Communities Response fund, which now stands at over £16m. The first 100 grants for this new emergency support fund have been allocated, awarding civil society organisations from across the capital emergency funding to distribute food and essentials. The second wave of funding is now open for groups to apply for resources to deliver crisis response activities (e.g. food, essentials, equipment) and to deliver their work differently (e.g. switching to digital channels) to meet the needs of communities.
• Signing up to the London Funders statement committing to being flexible for organisations who are receiving GLA funding in these exceptional times. We will work with our grantees to adapt activities if delivery is not possible due to COVID-19.
• Working with the London Strategic Coordination Group and London Food Alliance, a coalition of the capital’s three largest food redistribution charities, to establish community food hubs in every borough. The London Food Alliance partners (FareShare, City Harvest and the Felix Project) are using hubs to coordinate food redistribution and ensure supplies reach frontline charities supporting vulnerable Londoners during COVID-19.
• Using City Hall’s channels and the #LondonTogether campaign to encourage Londoners to support the London Food Alliance partners, food banks, other emergency food aid providers and community organisations helping vulnerable Londoners access food.