The Mayor's charities

The Coronavirus Response Fund has been set up by the Community Foundation for Surrey to support local charities and voluntary organisations that are helping vulnerable, elderly and isolated residents affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Match funding from the Council

Guildford Borough Council will match-fund donations pound for pound, for as long as the budget allows.

Aims of the fund

Donations to the fund are already helping those facing difficulties now, and the CRF also plans to support the recovery work that will be needed over the weeks and months ahead.

The number of urgent requests received from local organisations and charities is high and the CRF has so far given invaluable support to over 122 groups. But the work doesn't stop there.

In keeping with the Mayor of Guildford's 2020-21 fundraising theme, 'Supporting communities - supporting each other', the CRF plans to tackle local need in three phases - response, recovery and resilience.

Response phase

The response phase is already underway and getting emergency funds to groups running foodbanks, delivering food parcels to elderly residents and those on low income, helping the homeless, and funding extra hospice beds.

Recovery phase

As the fundraising work of charities and voluntary organisations has been halted by the Coronavirus pandemic, these groups are facing a financial crisis. The CRF's second recovery phase will be to prevent their collapse and help them to keep delivering their services.

Resilience phase

In its third resilience phase, the CRF will help charities and voluntary organisations find new ways of working and fundraising, so they can get back on their feet financially and keep working to support our communities.