Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP Chancellor of the Exchequer HM Treasury 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ
Dear Chancellor,
Coronavirus – Support for Charities, Voluntary Organisations and Social Enterprises
We are writing to you as a cross party group of MPs and peers to ask for urgent action to be taken on supporting charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises, given the unprecedented situation, and their ability to play a crucial role in the national response to Coronavirus.
Charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises offer crucial support to many parts of our society every day, and in the coming months will be vital in tackling the spread and impact of Coronavirus / COVID-19. Many can help alleviate the pressure on our NHS and social care services and provide support to people suffering from the economic and social impact of the pandemic, as well as helping with everything from mental health impacts to support for vulnerable families.
But without an immediate injection of money, many charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises of all sizes will soon close. Funds are running out.
Crucially, the NCVO predicts that there will be a loss in the sector of £4.3bn in income over the coming 12 weeks. The figure could be far higher.
Your announcement of further financial support for employers, businesses, and people – including that these should apply to charities – is welcome, but charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises require detailed clarification of where they are eligible for such support.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), and the Charity Finance Group have issued their own urgent calls, and we endorse these and call on you to take the following urgent actions, working directly with the Devolved Administrations, to protect the charity, voluntary and social enterprise sector at this crucial time:
• Provide immediate emergency funding for frontline charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises supporting the response to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis, especially where they are alleviating pressure on the health service or providing support to people suffering from the economic and social impact of COVID-19
• Provide a ‘stabilisation fund’ for all charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises to help them stay afloat and continue operating during the course of the pandemic.
• Provide confirmation that all charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises as employers will be eligible for the Government action to cover 80% of the salary of retained workers, and clarify the situation for the differing governance models of charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises – including CICs.
• Establish an emergency grant fund – NCVO have recommended that the mechanism most effective for this would be the National Emergencies Trust (NET) – which has established links with Community Foundations.
• Confirm that charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises are eligible for the other business interruption measures announced for business. Particularly can you urgently confirm how the following measures will be available to charities: the £330bn loan guarantees; the criteria for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises being eligible for the business interruption loan scheme; and whether additional business rates measures include premises that are not retail charity shops?
• Work with the UK’s largest philanthropic organisations and foundations, the National Lottery and others to identify grant funding which can be drawn down early over the coming days, or in addition from their reserves and existing grant programmes to help fill the growing gaps in the sector.
I am copying this letter to the Prime Minister, and the Minister for Civil Society.
We look forward to hearing your urgent response.
Signed,
Stephen Doughty MP and
Julian Lewis MP Fleur Anderson MP Chris Bryant MP Vicky Foxcroft MP Tonia Antoniazzi MP Karen Buck MP Ian Blackford MP Paula Barker MP Dawn Butler MP Keir Starmer MP Órfhlaith Begley MP Ian Byrne MP Greg Clark MP Apsana Begum MP Liam Byrne MP Wendy Chamberlain MP Hilary Benn MP Ruth Cadbury MP Colum Eastwood MP Clive Betts MP Lisa Cameron MP Liz Saville-Roberts MP Olivia Blake MP Wendy Chamberlain MP Gary Streeter MP Paul Blomfield MP Sarah Champion MP Alistair Carmichael MP Peter Bottomley MP Douglas Chapman MP Valerie Vaz MP Tracy Brabin MP Bambos Charalambous MP Debbie Abrahams MP Ben Bradshaw MP Joanna Cherry MP Peter Aldous MP Graham Brady MP Feryal Clark MP Rushanara Ali MP Mickey Brady MP Daisy Cooper MP Tahir Ali MP Kevin Brennan MP Rosie Cooper MP Mike Amesbury MP Alan Brown MP Yvette Cooper MP David Amess MP Lyn Brown MP Neil Coyle MP Stella Creasy MP Fabian Hamilton MP Siobhain McDonagh MP Jon Cruddas MP Claire Hann MP Andy McDonald MP Judith Cummins MP Neale Hanvey MP 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