Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP Chancellor of the Exchequer HM Treasury 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ 30 March 2020

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 Clive Betts MP Daisy Cooper MP MP Paul Blomfield MP Rosie Cooper MP Wendy Chamberlain MP Peter Bottomley MP Yvette Cooper MP Colum Eastwood MP Tracy Brabin MP Neil Coyle MP Liz Saville-Roberts MP MP Stella Creasy MP Gary Streeter MP Alan Brown MP MP Vicky Foxcroft MP Lyn Brown MP Janet Daby MP Alistair Carmichael MP Chris Bryant MP Edward Davey MP Debbie Abrahams MP Karen Buck MP Wayne David MP Rushanara Ali MP Dawn Butler MP Geraint Davies MP Mike Amesbury MP Ian Byrne MP Alex Davies-Jones MP David Amess MP MP Marsha de Cordova MP Fleur Anderson MP Ruth Cadbury MP Anneliese Dodds MP Tonia Antoniazzi MP Wendy Chamberlain MP MP Órfhlaith Begley MP Sarah Champion MP Allan Dorans MP Apsana Begum MP Bambos Charalambous MP MP Hilary Benn MP Joanna Cherry MP Rosie Duffield MP Angela Eagle MP Emma Lewell-Buck MP Andrew Rosindell MP Maria Eagle MP Clive Lewis MP Naz Shah MP Colum Eastwood MP Tony Lloyd MP Virendra Sharma MP Jonathan Edwards MP MP Barry Sheerman MP Chris Elmore MP Holly Lynch MP Tulip Siddiq MP MP Kenny MacAskill MP Alyn Smith MP Bill Esterson MP Angus MacNeil MP Cat Smith MP Chris Evans MP Seema Malhotra MP Jeff Smith MP MP MP Alex Sobel MP Margaret Ferrier MP Chris Matheson MP MP MP Kerry McCarthy MP Jo Stevens MP MP Siobhain McDonagh MP Jamie Stone MP Yvonne Fovargue MP Andy McDonald MP Wes Streeting MP MP Stewart McDonald MP MP Barry Gardiner MP Conor McGinn MP Mark Tami MP MP Catherine McKinnell MP Sam Tarry MP Preet Kaur Gill MP Anna McMorrin MP Alison Thewliss MP MP MP Gareth Thomas MP Kate Green MP Stephen Metcalfe MP Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Lilian Greenwood MP Navendu Mishra MP Owen Thompson MP Andrew Gwynne MP MP Stephen Timms MP Louise Haigh MP Carol Monaghan MP Karl Turner MP MP Layla Moran MP Derek Twigg MP Neale Hanvey MP Jessica Morden MP Martin Vickers MP Emma Hardy MP Stephen Morgan MP Claudia Webbe MP Carolyn Harris MP MP Catherine West MP Helen Hayes MP Ian Murray MP MP MP James Murray MP Philippa Whitford MP Mark Hendrick MP John Nicolson MP Munira Wilson MP Mike Hill MP Abena Oppong-Asare MP Beth Winter MP Margaret Hodge MP Kate Osamor MP Mohammad Yasin MP MP Kate Osborne MP Lord Adonis Kevin Hollinrake MP Taiwo Owatemi MP Baroness Andrews Rachel Hopkins MP Sarah Owen MP Baroness Armstrong Stewart Hosie MP Ian Paisley MP Lord Bach George Howarth MP Matthew Pennycook MP Lord Bassam of Brighton Christine Jardine MP Toby Perkins MP Lord Bradley Diana Johnson MP MP Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe Darren Jones MP Lucy Powell MP Lord Browne of Ladyton Gerald Jones MP Yasmin Qureshi MP Lord Collins of Highbury Ruth Jones MP Angela Rayner MP Baroness Corston Sarah Jones MP Steve Reed MP Baroness Crawley Barbara Keeley MP Christina Rees MP Lord Desai Liz Kendall MP Rachel Reeves MP Baroness Donaghy Stephen Kinnock MP Jonathan Reynolds MP Baroness Drake Peter Kyle MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Lord Drayson Ben Lake MP Marie Rimmer MP Lord Faulkner of Worcester David Lammy MP MP Lord Filkin Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Baroness Liddell of Lord Robertson of Port Lord Goldsmith Coatdyke Ellen Baroness Goudie Lord Liddle Baroness Royall of Blaisdon Lord Griffiths of Burry Port Baroness Lister of Baroness Smith of Basildon Lord Hain Burtersett Lord Snape Lord Harris of Haringey Baroness Mallalieu Lord Soley Lord Haskel Baroness Massey of Lord Stevenson of Baroness Hatyer of Kentish Darwen Balmacara Town Lord McAvoy Baroness Taylor of Bolton Lord Howarth Baroness McIntosh Baroness Thornton Baroness Hughes of Lord McNicol of West Lord Triesman Stretford Kilbride Lord Tunnicliffe Lord Hunt of Kings Heath Lord Mendelsohn Baroness Warwick Baroness Jones of Lord Monks Lord Watson of Whitchurch Baroness Morgan of Invergowrie Baroness Kennedy of the Huyton Lord West of Spithead Shaws Baroness Morris of Yardley Lord Wood of Anfield Lord Kennedy of Southwark Lord Murphy of Torfaen Lord Woolmer of Leeds Baroness Kingsmill Baroness Nye Baroness Wilcox of Baroness Kinnock of Baroness Primarolo Newport Holyhead Baroness Prosser Baroness Young of Scone Lord Kinnock Baroness Quin Lord Young of Norwood Lord Lennie Baroness Ramsay of Green Lord Levy Cartvale