The £479,727 allocated to 17 charities in Thirsk and Malton is a lifeline for these small organisations and is really good news. Among the beneficiaries are Encephalitis Society (£95,304); Sight Support Ryedale (£51,428) and Ryedale Community Transport (£32,500).
This will make a huge difference for charities and voluntary organisations whose income has been severely impacted by the pandemic. The extra funding by the Coronavirus Community Support Fund will give them vital support in the months ahead. It will mean that they can continue the excellent work they have been doing upon which many people rely.
Julia Clark, Director of Engagement, Encephalitis Society, said: ‘I would be understating how excited we all were when we found out about this grant as it gives us some security, which is so important to our community. Grants are an integral way of allowing us to continue our work and to develop projects for our members. They have become even more important this year as the global lockdown has meant that we have lost fundraising opportunities which represent a large chunk of our annual income. Our support service is a lifeline for families affected by encephalitis, both here in the UK and around the world. Thousands of people turn to us each year for information, resources and, of course, a listening ear during what is one of the most difficult times of their lives.’
Sight Support Ryedale said: ‘Sight Support Ryedale is the only voluntary organisation supporting blind and partially sighted people in Ryedale; we are a self-funded charity relying wholly on grant funding and donations. Sight loss can be a very isolating condition, especially in rural areas such as Ryedale, therefore we are delighted to receive funding from the National Lottery to deliver Covid Emergency support services to our visually impaired community.’
Ken Gill, Chief Officer, Ryedale Community Transport said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to receive this news, a generous donation of this size will make a huge difference in allowing us to carry on serving the community at the time we are most needed, this most welcome support will help ensure that Ryedale Community Transport comes through this crisis and can continue to improve, enhance and enrich the quality of life for so many residents in the District of Ryedale.’
This recent round of funding comes from the £200m Coronavirus Community Support Fund and is part of an overall package of £750 million to support the voluntary and charity sector during this challenging period.
