CHARITIES and organisations in Crewe are to get further help from a council's Covid-19 community response and recovery fund.

Cheshire East Council has extended the scheme so it can further support groups doing good in the community as the country prepares to go into a second national lockdown tomorrow (Thursday).

Charities have been hard hit during the pandemic with many sources of income drying up.

But £168,000 has already been funnelled into 47 organisations ranging from food banks to mentoring programmes for students in need of emotional support.

In Crewe an award of £4,926 was made to St Paul's Centre to help the long-established West Street charity with its food crisis scheme, demand for which has soared under Covid. The funding is going towards staff costs, PPE and running St Paul's Pantry.

Hopes & Beams received £4,735 to develop a service to supply vulnerable adults with a daily hot meal, delivered with a choice of menus.

Motherwell Cheshire CIO received £3,928 to fund its women's services in Crewe which have been disrupted during Covid. The charity wants to offer online counselling and the grant will cover counsellor expenses and rental costs.

Crewe and Nantwich Talking Newspaper received an award of £1,912 which is keeping it going during the pandemic.

Chance Changing Lives helps people referred by foodbanks with financial advice and health checks. It was awarded £5,000 to buy food, cleaning products and nappies to last through the winter.

Looking After the Homeless Group (LATH) will use its award of £5,000 to help families in the Crewe area in need of food support for their children, particularly during school holidays. LATH currently provides a food pick-up and delivery service for vulnerable adults.

An award of £4,750 was made to the Creative Action Team based Crewe's West End for its work with children and young people with complex needs.

While Friends for Leisure got £1,000 to help deliver online activities, including a youth group in Crewe.

The grants are aimed at supporting not-for-profit organisations to adapt to new ways of offering support to communities while government restrictions are in place.

Cllr Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council's Cabinet member for communities, said: "I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the voluntary, community and faith sector organisations that have applied so far and for the vital role they have all played.

"There is now a wealth of projects and local initiatives available to support our communities through these extremely challenging times.

"The council is still in a position to continue to fund projects that will have a high impact over the winter months and focus on supporting those organisations which can assist residents who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to the economic impact caused by Covid-19."

Not-for-profit organisations can apply for funding up to a maximum of £5,000 for local projects and services for both response and recovery-type applications. Examples include: food bank services, meal deliveries, food distribution, lunch and breakfast clubs, holiday hunger projects, fuel poverty and digital inclusion.

But applications can be made for up to £10,000 while awards of up to £20,000 will be considered from organisations as part of a collaborative application from two or more community groups working together.

To find out more about the scheme and to submit an application see here.

The council aims to make funding decisions as quickly as possible and up until early 2021.

To find out more or to contact any of the Crewe-based groups who have received funding so far see:

St. Paul's Centre at their website here.

Hopes & Beams Access... email: [email protected] or ring 01270 255355.

Crewe and Nantwich Talking newspaper at their website

Chance Changing Lives can be messaged via Facebook at Chancechanginglives2

LATH have a Facebook page here.

Motherwell's website is here.

The Creative Action Team CIC can be contacted on 0756 3937214