Thank you to everyone who wrote in with supportive comments following the debate I led in the Commons on the future of the National Trust, a much-loved charitable institution, Britain’s largest landowner and big operator in our area.
Charities across the board have been badly impacted this year. MPs were recently informed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden of the funding packages which have been provided to charities hit by the crisis.
Part of the Government’s response to the pandemic has been a £750 million support package to ensure voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors could remain operating. The scheme is by far the most generous in Europe for the charity sector.
Over 13,000 charities across the country received direct funding towards continuing their work. This was complimented with other support programmes, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
The £750 million figure was broken down into multiple schemes, including a £200 million Coronavirus Community Support Fund – designed to buttress small and medium sized charities.
Of this, £183,295 was received by six local charities in my constituency. They included, Collaborative Schools, HELP Counselling Services, Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, Larkrise Community Farm, Vehicles for Change, and Fairfield Farm Trust.
Amongst these charities, I most recently visited Larkrise Community Farm. I was able to see the fantastic work they do first-hand. As a special needs educational provider, they have worked hard to keep their doors open and I know that any fiscal support will have been greatly appreciated.
Charities are vital bastions of community engagement and support, and it is essential we help see them through to the other side of this horrible pandemic. The grants given through the Coronavirus Community Support Fund will have helped towards this. I warmly welcome it.
Good news on the A303 improvements. I hope to meet the Transport Secretary soon to press the need for the second phase to the west of Stonehenge, including the A303/A36 junction, without which the case for the tunnel would fall flat.