The organisers of an Island crisis appeal set up to provide relief during the Coronavirus pandemic has thanked all those who contributed.
The Crisis Committee has now been put on hold after over £100,000 was distributed to local good causes working on the frontline of the battle against Covid-19 and its effects on the community.
The committee was formed when at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, The Isle of Wight Council made an appeal for donations to help support people during the crisis.
Formed with main Island charitable trusts and foundations
The then High Sheriff, and founder of WightAid, Geoff Underwood formed the Crisis Committee which saw six of the main Island charitable trusts and foundations come together to pool their funds and the donations and to ensure all the monies raised were distributed fairly to those in the most need on the Island.
Mr Underwood said,
“Our primary focus was to ensure that no families went without food for three months.
“In addition, we wanted to ensure that we supported charities tackling mental health, domestic abuse and social isolation as well, and we made sure that the majority of our joint funds went to charities supporting those good causes.”
Over £47,000 raised
The total raised from the appeal was over £47,000 and together with grants from each of the trusts and foundations on the committee an amazing £103,000 was granted to charities working in the areas mentioned above.
The Crisis Committee has now granted all of the monies raised from the Appeal, and the committee has been dissolved.
Underwood: “Your donations have really made a massive difference”
Mr Underwood said,
“I would like to thank everyone on the Island who gave so generously to support this appeal. Your donations have really made a massive difference.
“For now, we are standing down the committee, but the work of each of the Trusts and Foundations involved will continue in the background. The initial phase of this pandemic may have subsided, but it hasn’t gone away, and the impact will be felt for a long, long time, so please continue to support the work we, and all the charities, are doing in your community.”
The Trusts and Foundations that formed the committee were:
- WightAID;
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation;
- The High Sheriff’s Trust;
- The Daisie Rich Trust;
- IW Sports Foundation;
- Island Roads – Isle of Wight Foundation
Donations are still being accepted, and you can donate via the Weebsite.
News shared by Becky on behalf of WightAid. Ed
Image: Images Money under CC BY 2.0
