Southwark Council COVID-19 community grants and updates
Southwark Council COVID-19 community grants will be made each month until July 2020. There are four tiers of grant at up to £500, £1,000, £5,000 and £10,000.
Applications for this month need to be in by 13 April.
Today we launched a £390,000 community fund to assist the voluntary sector in looking after Southwark’s residents. Funding will be allocated to groups supporting the most vulnerable and at risk or to those who have been directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-standing Southwark community organisations facing financial hardships related to COVID-19 are also encouraged to apply.
We will make £100,000 available each month up to the end of July 2020. Organisations will be able to bid for up to £10,000 each month with the ability to reapply each month. The grants are available for both registered and constituted groups and other voluntary organisations, including those being formed in direct response to this crisis. Southwark’s scheme will also work in partnership with Community Southwark to support new, community-based groups which offer advice or guidance to residents.
The first round of applications will be accepted between today, Monday 6 April, and Monday 13 April. Assessment will be made within three working days of the closing date and payment made as soon as possible after the closure date. Applications received outside of this window will need to be resubmitted the following month. The second, third, and fourth round of applications will be accepted between the first and eighth of each month and will continue until July 2020.
We have created a page on our website with more information about the grant and how to apply. Please do share this with your networks and contacts in the local community.
Councillor Stephanie Cryan | Cabinet Member for Jobs, Business and Innovation
Other updates
Social distancing and parks
The vast majority of people in the borough are complying with the social distancing regulations in Southwark, including in parks and in open spaces. Over the weekend Southwark wardens, supported by 21 police offers, were patrolling hotspots in the borough where concerns have raised about people not following guidelines, to educate and where necessary enforce compliance with social distancing. This has generally worked well and we expect this level of police resource to continue over the bank holiday weekend.
Trading Standards
Monitoring of businesses continues to ensure they are complying with national regulations. Over the weekend 27 specific premises were checked and assessed regarding business closures activity. Main concerns included mobile phone shops, some licensed premises and effective social distancing in a few take-away premises.
Southwark Community Response Fund
The Southwark Community Response Fund has also been set up by a group of local funders, with pooled contributions from United St Saviour’s, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, Peter Minet Trust and Southwark Charities.