Doing the right thing: St. Modwen COVID-19 Community Impact Fund

In April, St. Modwen launched a £150,000 Community Impact Fund to provide essential support to grassroots charities and groups that have played a crucial role in supporting their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We reached out through local authorities to identify organisations where we are already active that had been selflessly serving those most vulnerable during the Coronavirus lockdown.

Across England and Wales, we quickly provided grants to 21 charities that either have – or will – use the funding to keep essential services running for the foreseeable future. All £150,000 of our impact fund has been issued and is providing support to those in need.

At the start of lockdown, we faced a host of unforeseen challenges. While we had to make swift, and often challenging, decisions to protect our people and the future of our business, we also had to make sure that we played our part in supporting the communities in which we work.

We swiftly launched our Community Impact Fund – a £150,000 pot to support small charities and community groups that were on the ground making a real difference in their local areas. From befriending calls to those with life limiting conditions, through to food banks that are supporting the homeless, I am humbled to already be seeing the impact that these grants have had.”

Rob Hudson, Interim Chief Executive Officer

Find out more about some of the charities and groups we have supported:

• We donated £10,000 to two Wantage charities whose services were severely impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown.
• A Staffordshire solvent abuse charity received a £15,000 grant to support its in-demand mental health and substance misuse services.
• We donated £15,000 to South Derbyshire Community & Voluntary Support to help its army of volunteers get groceries and prescriptions to vulnerable and shielding households.
• Thurrock Community & Voluntary Services received £20,000 to support local residents with shopping requests, prescription collections, and befriending and welfare calls.
• We donated £20,000 to Hospice Hope, a charity that provides pastoral care to those living with life limiting conditions.
• Staffordshire-based Realise charity received a £15,000 grant to support those struggling with financial hardship and mental health issues as a result of the pandemic.
• We donated £10,000 to four Wythenshawe charities which have also been providing essential food and support services to groups across the town.