NATIONAL EMERGENCIES TRUST CORONAVIRUS APPEAL PROGRAMME

The National Emergencies Trust (NET) was launched in November 2019 to collaborate with charities and other bodies to raise and distribute money and support victims at the time of a domestic disaster. From the outset NET partnered with UK Community Foundations (UKCF) and on 18th March launched the NET Coronavirus Appeal with 47 community foundations as sole distribution partners. The goal of the partnership was to ensure that grants could reach grassroots groups and charities quickly, to support the most vulnerable people affected by the pandemic across the whole of the UK.

To date (21.05.20) the NET Coronavirus Appeal has raised over £85m in pledges from businesses, charitable trusts, the public and the government. More than £32m has been distributed through UKCF to the community foundation network and more than 5,000 grants have been made totalling nearly £22m so far. This is the first time a national appeal has been launched to respond to a domestic disaster. The partnership is ongoing but so far the appeal programme has benefitted more than 750,000 individuals.