Julia and Hans Rausing assign £15.3 Million to Charities and Sectors impacted by the Coronavirus over the next six months

The donations are part of the £16.5 million pledge announced last month to charities in the United Kingdom, which includes a £5 million donation to NHS Charities Together Covid-19 urgent appeal.

The charities chosen are those which help those who have been severely affected by Coronavirus across the UK and can be broken down into four areas:

• Emergency response: This is aimed at charities supporting people and services on the frontline who are on providing care and support to those who have Coronavirus. This category includes £500,000 donations to the National Emergency Trust and £250,000 to The Care Workers’ Charity.
• The elderly and other at-risk groups: The eldest in our society have been significantly impacted by Coronavirus, not being able to go outside to collect food and to alleviate loneliness for those who live on their own. Additionally, there are a number of other at-risk groups who need continued help during this time, whether they be those with dementia, those with underlying health conditions such as cancer, or those whose mental health has worsened due to the crisis. Julia and Hans will donate £500,000 to Hospice UK as well as £250,000 to Samaritans and Age UK’s national appeal.
• Homelessness: Some of these are charities which the Trust has supported for a number of years and is crucially important now as people are placed into temporary accommodation without the normal support network and access to drop-in centres upon which many homeless people have relied upon for basic needs. £250,000 will be donated to each of The Passage, Crisis and St Mungo’s.
• Domestic Abuse: There have been marked increases in the number of people calling domestic violence helplines during the period of lockdown with people unable to leave home. £500,000 is being gifted to Refuge so that it is able to continue to support people in incredibly difficult situations, along with sizeable grants to a number of other charities working in this area.

Julia and Hans Rausing commented: “This continues to be an extremely difficult time for people across the UK in a variety of tough and challenging circumstances. We have been awestruck by the generosity of people in the UK, whether that be through volunteering in the NHS, delivering food parcels to vulnerable people unable to go outside or those donating to charities doing admirable work.

“There are a great number of charities doing vital work, and we hope these donations enable them to help as many vulnerable people as possible who have been impacted by the crisis.”

 Tracey Bleakley, CEO of Hospice UK, commented: “Hospice UK is delighted that the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust is funding our vital work supporting NHS clinical and hospice teams in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as well as enabling hospices around the UK to deliver enhanced bereavement support services to families in their communities.

“As the national charity for hospice and end of life care, Hospice UK is very grateful to be working with the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, so we can continue to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities during this national emergency.”

Karolina Gerlich, Executive Director at The Careworkers’ Charity, commented: “Care workers are on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis delivering the best care they can in these difficult circumstances often making many personal sacrifices. They are putting their health and lives at risk and many have had to shield or self-isolate because of it or have had the virus themselves. The Care Workers’ Charity thinks that it is essential that we support care workers more than ever in this difficult time and ensure that they do not go hungry or unable to pay their bills because of following the official guidelines. 

“This grant will enable us to deliver five hundred grants to care workers in financial crisis. We are very grateful for the support from the Julia & Hans Rousing Trust and recognition of the amazing work that care workers do every day.”

Suzanne Jacob, CEO of Safe Live, commented: “This is an incredible donation at an absolutely critical time. Victims and survivors of abuse, both adults and children, live with very high levels of fear and control at home in ‘normal’ times. This has been heavily exaggerated by the Covid-19 crisis. Our work, both immediately and over the longer term as the inevitable wave of disclosures after lockdown begins, is to provide every bit of practical and emotional support we can. We will do this directly to those adult and child survivors, and also to the many brilliant frontline professionals who are trying so hard to keep them safe at home.”

Howard Sinclair, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s, commented: ““People experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable during the current pandemic.  Many of those we work with have health conditions, including respiratory problems, relating to time spent sleeping on the streets which put them at especially high risk. St Mungo’s and our partners are working to ensure the safety of over 1,600 people who we have helped off the streets and from emergency hubs and into hotel rooms, providing the food, essential items, access to healthcare and support they need to self-isolate.

We are incredibly grateful for the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust’s generous offer of support which will help us immensely in responding flexibly during this crisis, providing this emergency support to those who need it most as well as working to ensure that they don’t have to return to the streets when restrictions lift.”

Below is the full list of charities and organisations  being supported:

Advance

Age UK (national appeal)

Age UK Kensington & Chelsea

Air Ambulances UK

Alzheimer’s Society

Big Issue Foundation

British Red Cross

Cheltenham Animal Shelter

Childline (NSPCC)

Citizens Advice  Stroud and Cotswold Districts

City Harvest

Crisis

Dementia UK

Emmaus Gloucestershire

GL11

Glass Door

Gloucestershire Society

Hestia

Hollie Gazzard Trust

Hope for Tomorrow

Hospice UK

Leckhampton Hospice

Longfield Hospice

Macmillan Cancer Support

Marylebone Project

National Emergencies Trust

Prince of Wales Hospice

Re-Engage

Refuge

Response Community Projects

Royal Trinity Hospice

Royal Voluntary Services

Safe Lives

Samaritans

Solace

St John Ambulance

St Martins Charity (homeless appeal)

St Mungo’s

Target Ovarian Cancer

Team Rubicon

The Care Workers’ Charity

The Cavell Nurses’ Trust

The Country Food Trust

The Dog’s Trust 

The Felix Project

The Passage

The Silver Line

The Trussel Trust 

The Wingate Special Children’s Trust

Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust

Women’s Aid

23rd April 2020