£20k boost for charity’s ‘amazing’ coronavirus efforts

A charity providing vital support to the NHS as it battles the effects of the coronavirus pandemic has been given a £20,000 cash boost.

The City of London Corporation has donated the money to St John Ambulance, the nation’s leading health and first aid charity, to help its volunteers support patients in A&E departments, provide ambulance back-up for 999 calls and transport recovering patients home.

With more than 40,000 COVID-19 deaths recorded in the UK, the NHS is under continued strain, while charities face twin pressures of reduced income and rising demand for services.

The donation is the latest move by the Square Mile’s governing body to support the coronavirus response and follows almost £3 million in emergency funding given through its charitable funder, City Bridge Trust.

Jeremy Mayhew, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Finance Committee, said:

“Coronavirus is a global health emergency that affects the way every one of us goes about our daily lives and it is important we support the amazing efforts, on the frontline of this crisis, being made by charities across London and the UK.

“At a time when our health service is under severe pressure, the role of St John Ambulance has never been more crucial and this funding will help its fantastic team of volunteers continue to provide sorely-needed support for the NHS and to help vulnerable people across London.

“I urge businesses in the City and across the capital to continue to give to St John Ambulance to ensure even more people can benefit from their important work.”

Rebecca Mauger, Director of Fundraising at St John Ambulance, said:

“St John people give thousands of hours supporting communities in every region of the country, from communities to hospitals and frontline services. Their time and compassion builds patient trust when they often feel anxious, and offers clinical reassurance and care, benefiting thousands of patients. That means we can be there for you, your family and friends.

“We are incredibly grateful to City of London Corporation for their donation which helps ensure that St John can do everything it needs to provide safe, effective care now, and in the future.”

The money comes from the City Corporation’s International Disaster Fund, which has given more than £300,000 towards emergency relief efforts around the world in the last three years.

It follows donations last month of £20,000 each to the British Red Cross and disaster response organisation Team Rubicon UK for their efforts in battling COVID-19.

Meanwhile, City Bridge Trust has awarded more than £1.7 million to help charities it supports make up lost income, and gave £1 million to the London Community Response, which supports groups across the capital affected by the pandemic.

For more information on the London Community Response, go to londoncommunityresponsefund.org.uk

The City Corporation gives millions of pounds a year to charities as part of its commitment to creating a fairer, more inclusive society.

Grants given by the City Corporation’s International Disaster Fund in the last three years include £25,000 to Team Rubicon UK’s Hurricane Dorian response appeal, £30,000 to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Cyclone Idai Appeal and £25,000 to the We Love Manchester appeal following the devastating terror attacks on the city.

The City Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust, is London’s biggest independent grant giver, making grants of over £25 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital.

It has given over £1.7 million in one-off grants to 202 organisations it already supports to help them offset lost income resulting from the coronavirus pandemic