Mayor of London provides £1.4m to support the capital’s voluntary sector

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan announced a further £1.4m contribution to the London Community Response to help community and voluntary organisations who have been badly affected by the impact of Covid-19.

The capital’s already-stretched voluntary and community sectors have seen a significant rise in demand for their services this year due to the impact of the pandemic and with a second national lockdown now in effect, this pressure is expected to increase considerably.

This latest contribution brings the Mayor’s total donation to the London Community Response close to £9m.

Beneficiaries of the Mayor’s latest contribution will include:

• Practical schemes to combat food poverty through the provision of emergency food aid grants

• Organisations which exist to tackle social isolation and promote good mental health and wellbeing

• Community action programmes empowering grassroots volunteers to help strengthen civil society

• Mutual aid and volunteer-led groups, working on the frontline of communities to meet local need

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Our civil society and voluntary groups are the beating heart of our city and, despite challenging circumstances, they continue to go above and beyond to plug the gap left by a decade of austerity.

“These already-stretched organisations have been helping Londoners when they need it the most and with the second national lockdown now in place the demand is only set to grow. That is why I am so proud to give another £1.4m to the London Community Response which has been providing crucial support to communities in need since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“This pandemic has shone a light on the stark and systemic inequalities that persist in our society, but poverty is not inevitable and we are committed to tackling it, and this virus, together.”

Director and Chief Grants Officer, City Bridge Trust and Chair of London Funders David Farnworth said: "We are delighted that the Mayor continues to support the London Community Response. As the situation with COVID continues, it's critical that we are committed to stand with the sector. This unprecedented initiative is such a positive collaboration, supporting London's communities at a time they need it most."