We’re currently gripped by the very real crisis that COVID-19 is causing worldwide. Billions of people are living with restrictions on their movement to slow the transmission of the virus and for many, this is causing strain and even hardship.
In response, communities are mobilising using digital tools to recruit volunteers and co-ordinate local action. We’re proud to be supporting these efforts where funding is required, using our position as an effective and fast conduit for all available resources in an area.
To assist this, we have already waived our platform fees and relaxed our eligibility criteria so that people can fundraise solely for running costs for projects that help local areas. Below are some of the great projects that have come forward so far. Click their titles to find out more about how they are positively responding to this crisis, and perhaps get inspired to do something similar in your area.
Community-led mutual aid
These projects are doing an amazing job of bringing together people who haven’t worked together before and creating local armies of volunteers doing everything from shopping, medicine drops and phone calls to isolated individuals.
Community Delivery Service in Worthing
CoViD-19 Grantham Volunteer Responders
Crisis Fund for Mutual Aid Hammersmith
Far Cotton & Delapre Community Support
Feed the hungry in Hendon during Covid-19
Furniture & deliveries through COVID-19 in Tower Hamlets
Havering Heroes Fund: Community Response
Kinship family emergency response in Sunderland
Nourish the Nation-Community Covid-19 in Chichester
One City Fund in Wolverhampton – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Selsey Covid-19 Mutual Aid Project – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Supporting our local communities in Sunderland
Council-led response funds
In addition to waiving our platform fees for crowdfunding projects, we’ve also made our technology available to local authorities and grant makers free of charge so that if they have an emergency response fund, they can use Spacehive to distribute it.
Lend a Hand for Tunbridge Wells
Mansfield Community Response Fund
Sevenoaks District, Communities Together
Southwark Community Response Fund – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
St Helens Together Community Fund
Waltham Forest Community Help Network needs you! – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Food banks
Food banks are experiencing unprecedented demand. Keeping stocks high is essential to meeting this, in addition to purchasing any equipment that allows them to work at scale.
COVID-19 Food Distribution 2 Families in Waltham Forest
COVID19 relief – Free meal service in Hammersmith and Fulham
Food Aid. Bag, Bowl, Box. We’ll fill it (in Bognor Regis)
Food for Tower Hamlets in Tower Hamlets
Giving for Gedling Food Bank Appeal – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Help Bow Food Bank feed the community – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Support the NW7hub as a Distribution Hub – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Supporting Our Local Foodbanks in Brigsteer
Digital inclusion
For some, social distancing and self-isolation can risk being genuinely cut off from their community and being able to connect with people as well as other services. School children at home risk missing out on education. Community centres, schools, and other support services are overcoming this by fundraising for digital equipment, meaning they can reach into people’s homes.
Connect Sefton Through Digital Training
Doncaster Deaf Trust Home Education
Generations of Creations in Greenwich
ONLINE WARRIORS- Virtual Gymnastics
The Kids Network Hammersmith and Fulham – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Local food production
Growing more food locally is a win-win. It reduces our reliance on global supply chains, limits our need to go to the supermarket as much, and has the added benefit of being a real community builder. It’s even compliant with social distancing. We anticipate more projects, which can either be in publicly shared spaces or make use of spare capacity in people’s gardens.
Community Honey by Bees & Refugees in Hammersmith and Fulham – SUCCESSFULLY CROWDFUNDED
Grow veg in Grove Park: help and connect
Keeping the show on the road
COVID-19 may be causing disruption but is not necessarily bringing things to a complete halt. For some, there are creative ways of ensuring that their initiative finds a way to happen.
If you are running a project or have an idea for one, and you need funding to support your efforts, come and tell us about it by going to spacehive.com/create.
