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

• Funding will support organisations tackling food poverty and social isolation

• Mayor’s total contribution to London Community Response’s Covid-19 fund nears £9m

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan today 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, a significant boost for a fund which has already raised more than £42m since it was established in March. The Mayor was a founding contributor to the London Community Response, which provides financial support to a diverse range of community, voluntary and civil society initiatives affected by or responding to the impact of Covid-19.

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

Since it was founded in March, the London Community Response has been a beacon of philanthropic cooperation in the capital. More than 66 funders have contributed including the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime who provided a donation of £500,000 to tackle domestic violence. The coalition has enabled more than 2600 grants to be issued to initiatives across the city including Sustain: The Alliance For Better Food And Farming and The Magic Breakfast, which provides healthy school breakfasts to children at risk of hunger. Many beneficiaries of grants have been disabled Londoners, women and Black, Asian and minority ethnic-led initiatives with a recent City Hall study* affirming these groups are among those worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Sadiq is a vocal supporter of the role of civil society groups and has urged the government to do more to help them continue to deliver essential services throughout the coronavirus crisis.

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."