The Talbot Village Trust, a local charity that provides grants to support various causes around Dorset, has launched a fund of £1 million today to support local community organisations and charities through the COVID-19 crisis.
Since the coronavirus reached the UK, charities and communities have struggled to keep their heads above water. With the lockdown in place, charity shops have had to close, fundraising events have been postponed or rescheduled, and the people who rely on their services for support have suffered the consequences. The Talbot Village Trust’s new fund will offer much a much-needed funding opportunity to causes like these, and they’re taking applications now.
The Talbot Village Trust is a charity was founded as a way to support a local rural community battling deprivation and now, over 150 years later, the legacy of its founders, Georgina and Mary Talbot, continues by offering grants to charitable causes in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Purbeck and East Dorset. In 2018 and 2019 it provided grants of over £2 million in total.
The new COVID-19 Support Fund will give priority to applicants who are providing critical support during the pandemic, offering successful applicants a financial boost to provide revenue, core funding or capital and equipment so they can continue to offer their services. Each organisation can ask for up to £50,000 and can apply more than once if more funding is needed.
Sir Christopher Lee, the Chair of Trustees for Talbot Village Trust, commented on the move: “At this unprecedented and extremely difficult time for Dorset residents, we are so pleased to be able to support them in any way we can, and we would urge any local charity or community group to apply immediately for our support, if they need it. The application process is quick and easy and they will get a decision within days.
“At this challenging time, we want to support the groups and individuals that work hard and help those in need, and we feel confident that the original Talbot sisters would wholeheartedly agree with this approach.”
Leader of the BCP Council, Vikki Slade, who has been asked to help review the applications, agreed: “I am delighted that Talbot Village Trust have launched this scheme to help local people at this incredibly difficult time. I feel humbled to have been asked to to join the panel assessing the grants – this fund is exactly what I would imagine the Talbot sisters imagined their charity would deliver.”
The deadline for initial applications is midnight on 16 April 2020, and successful applicants will be contacted on 20 April 2020, with further dates being provided after each funding round. To apply for funding your for community organisation or charity, download the application form from the Talbot Village Trust website and email them directly if you have any questions.