Some local charities have been able to respond to the challenge of coronavirus - but many have struggled, and funding remains a huge issue in the months to come.
In the last few days we've seen some inspiring examples of local organisations continuing to work through the pandemic.
- Haven House have had great support from their local community, who have done everything from fundraising to making scrubs - and their online quiz night on Tuesday 28 April involved an astonishing 375 teams.
- Shpresa helped out an asylum-seeker mum-to-be with a baby shower put together by 55 volunteers
- Humdum UK prepared food packs for people breaking their Ramadan fast
- King George and Queen's Hospital Charity distributed toiletries and drinks to NHS staff
- Positive East have organised an online talent show
- Jyotsna Srikanth of Dhruv Arts has announced a free online concert on 1 May
And this is just a selection - many of the other groups listed in our coronavirus support directory are providing support and advice for people day after day.
The voluntary sector plays a unique role, involving people from a wide range of communities and excluded groups. We'll be vital to the reconstruction that will be needed after the coronavirus crisis.
We know that, while some organisations have been able to carry on providing services - and have even reached out to support new people - for many other groups this has been a huge challenge. At RedbridgeCVS we're committed to supporting our member organisations to help them meet that challenge, by providing training, IT support and help with fundraising. Volunteer Centre Redbridge is helping local organisations like Age UK find the volunteers it needs to support elderly people.
In the months to come, funding will be a major issue. That's why we're supporting the #NeverMoreNeeded campaign, which highlights the vital work the voluntary sector does. Cancellation of events, closure of charity shops and disruption to services means the sector has already lost millions of pounds in income. That's why we need government support on the same kind of scale that has been provided to businesses - to support our communities during the pandemic and to rebuild afterwards.
