Addiction and Recovery Covid-19 Response Fund

Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) treatment and recovery organisations have faced major challenges over the past few months. These services have been at the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic – and they’ve been working exceptionally hard to keep vulnerable people safe, secure and supported. We are delighted to announce new funding to support these organisations through this challenging time, which we will be distributing on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

VCSE organisations have provided a huge amount of additional support to those who are unable to travel in to services, and put major effort into necessary adaptations of treatment interventions and much more. They have gone the extra mile in providing out of hours, remote key-working and support. But as staff have worked extra hours, and services have had to cover extra expenditure for PPE and other resources, running costs for the sector have spiralled. It has been a particularly challenging time for smaller organisations, which may have little in the way of reserves. Which is why the Response Fund is so welcome.

This new fund is provided by DCMS (which covers civil society in its brief) and DHSC. It is exclusively available to VCSE organisations in England with turnovers of less than £2m, and will help to cover the additional support necessitated by the coronavirus epidemic. This includes support for service users or family members who are already being supported, as well as for those who are not yet in treatment.

We’re encouraged by this recognition of the essential role smaller charities and social enterprises are playing in supporting the health of our nation.

And Collective Voice is proud to have advised Government on how to get this funding to where it will make the most difference, with grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 available to help cover additional Covid-19 related work. We know how much this funding is needed and how much difference it will make, and we are therefore doing everything we can to get it where it is needed as soon as possible. Timescales are tight, therefore – applications are being accepted until 11:59pm on Wednesday 22 July 2020. Don’t miss out!

Coronavirus continues to pose an immense challenge. But at times of crisis, both communities and community groups have acted compassionately and innovatively, to ensure that anyone affected by drug or alcohol misuse receives the support they deserve. And at Collective Voice, we’ll continue to champion this cause. We look forward to hearing from you – read how to apply for the fund here.