Support for organisations and communities

Many charities across Norfolk have recently received donations in response to the pandemic.  We have received several enquiries from trustees asking if they can make donations to help community support groups and local charities which are helping vulnerable local people through the Coronavirus crisis. 

This report is part of a series of documents looking at role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Norfolk over the Covid-19 period, the impact of the pandemic on the VCSE sector and our beneficiaries and initial thinking about future direction and strategy.

At CAN we’ve seen the spectrum of community groups forming in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, seeking to help their vulnerable and isolated residents. We have, and are, helping many of them with safeguarding, insurance and legal advice and volunteer management, under the auspices of our existing Good Neighbour scheme network.

There are some inspiring examples of communities coming together during the Coronavirus pandemic, and one south Norfolk town has shown how it can be done. 

We know that many voluntary and community groups are experiencing severe operating constraints currently, not least the inability to engage directly with clients and service users. One of the great characteristics of the VCSE sector, however, is the ability to adapt and improvise to meet the need.