A LINK-UP between Bentley Motors and the Cheshire Community Foundation has seen 11 Crewe charities and not-for-profit organisations receive a windfall through a Covid impact fund.

The cash will be used to fund projects focused upon food poverty, mental health and debt advice with over 5,000 people set to benefit directly over the next 12 months.

The organisations will receive one-off grants ranging from £7,800 to £25,000 and the successful applicants include Motherwell, the women's mental health charity, Pennysmart money advice organisation and Chance Changing Lives' community pantry.

Bentley says the new fund has significantly bolstered the money available to local not-for-profit organisations in 2021, allowing them to focus on their vital work in the community.

The fund will support:

- Food and operating costs for a community pantry.

- Food, staffing and fuel for a food bank to deliver food parcels locally.

- Food, volunteer and vehicle running costs at a homelessness centre.

- Counselling services for young women aged 13-18.

- Grief counselling for people bereaved through Covid-19.

- Schools based group counselling sessions for children and young people coming out of lockdown.

- Salary costs, recruitment of 10 volunteers and IT equipment for local citizen support advisors.

- Salary costs and staff training to enhance Mental Health First Aiders

- Training volunteer counsellors to enhance support at an LGBT+ charity

- Staffing costs and overheads to increase support available for a money advice helpline service

- The salary for an additional debt coach in a debt counselling organisation

Bentley's Member of the Board for People, Digitalisation and IT, Dr Astrid Fontaine said: "Communities everywhere have been profoundly affected by Covid. Our goal in establishing this fund with Cheshire Community Foundation is to support locally-run projects that can make a quick and tangible change to people's lives in the Crewe area.

"We know that many local organisations are themselves struggling with funding issues due to the pandemic, so this additional injection of support enables them to stay focused on delivery at this critical time."

Zoe Sheppard, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation, said: "The whole team at Cheshire Community Foundation is thrilled to support our valued partner Bentley with this grants programme. We're delighted to announce the award of these 11 grants, all of which will have life-changing impacts for the people involved.

"The charitable organisations are experts in their field; now they can get on with their work, which is more vital than ever as we come out of the pandemic."

Cheshire Community Foundation works with small charities and voluntary groups across Cheshire, helping to connect them to companies that can help to make a difference. Bentley and the Cheshire Community Foundation have worked together for almost nine years since the foundation was launched in 2012.