The Suffolk Coronavirus Community Fund has already raised over £400,000 with £350,000 already distributed, helping 90 organisations and over 35,000 vulnerable people in our county.
And now a single donation from Vestey Food Group of over £120,000 of food has been delivered and is helping to re-fill the shelves of our Foodbanks
“As a longstanding family business, Vestey Food Group have cultivated strong community links wherever we have an office, factory or depot and the Coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the vital role that business can play in supporting their community,” said George Vestey, CEO of Vestey Food Group and Chairman of Suffolk Community Foundation, from Haverhill.
“As a Suffolk man I am passionate about our county and, in my voluntary role as chairman of Suffolk Community Foundation, I am enormously heartened by what they have already achieved to support people through this crisis through the creation of the Suffolk Coronavirus Community Fund. In only a matter of days, Suffolk has stepped up to support vital community projects across the board. In this instance our business can help by donating two full articulated lorries of ready meals, snacks and drinks to support vulnerable people. Suffolk Community Foundation hooked us up with Fareshare and the emergency food distribution networks that they have and together we are now able to make a significant impact on re-stocking the shelves of Suffolk foodbanks.’
Michael Barrett, FareShare East Anglia Development Manager, said:
“FareShare is committed to keeping going during the COVID-19 crisis, providing vital food supplies each week to charities and schools across Suffolk. We welcome the food donated by Vestey Foods which is needed now more than ever and will make a big difference for the projects and vulnerable people we serve.”
The Suffolk Coronavirus Community Fund was launched only a month ago by Suffolk Community Foundation in partnership with the National Emergencies Trust.
Launched by Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge he said: “It is the strength and desire to help from the public that can make the most difference.”
And Suffolk has really taken these words to their hearts already raising over £500,000 to help vulnerable people in Suffolk. But with over £400,000 already distributed to Suffolk Charities there is much more still be done.
Now also supported by leading Suffolk organisations including Community Action Suffolk, Suffolk Association of Local Councils, East Anglian Daily Times, Suffolk County Council, District and Borough Councils and others members of The Suffolk Collective, Suffolk is fighting the impact of coronavirus together by raising vital donation of money, but also through gifts ‘in kind’.
‘We have been deeply moved to see Suffolk already coming together to help us raise over £500,000 and our team and the voluntary sector as a whole are working night and day to make this money work on the ground supporting vulnerable Suffolk people,” said Stephen Singleton, Chief Executive of Suffolk Community Foundation. “Over £400,000 has been targeted at key issues and distributed at lightning speed to our local charities and community groups who are responding to the Coronavirus emergency. Immediate support for groups who are helping vulnerable local people is essential, especially at a time when their own fundraising capabilities have been all but wiped out and demands for their services are never higher. In addition to the enormous increase in demand for emergency food provision, we are seeing significant rises in the need to support those experiencing social isolation resulting in mental and physical health challenges, families in crisis with unemployment, rising debt and critical social challenges like domestic violence. But the message to Suffolk is that we need many more people to give what they can afford to keep the work we have started moving forward and keeping up with demand. Reaching and helping almost 40,000 so far via 90 organisations is a wonderful start.”
Donations can be made online via www.suffolkcf.org.uk, by calling the giving hotline on 01473 786911 or sending a text donation to 70085. To give £5 quote 5SuffolkCrisis, £10 quote 10SuffolkCrisis or £20 quote 20SuffolkCrisis. Texts cost the donation you have made plus one standard rate message.
