The Covid-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented challenge for civil society. The Connect Fund at the Barrow Cadbury Trust, in partnership with Access – The Foundation for Social Investment has been focused on how best to respond to the situation.

Our priority is to try to minimise the damage done to the social investment sector and to respond where we are best placed to do so.

The Connect Fund has written to our grantees assuring them of our support and flexibility. We encourage you to talk to us about the impacts of the virus either on the work we are funding or the wider work of your organisation.

We believe that the best and most effective response to the crisis is to work in partnership with others and contribute jointly to the collective efforts of our sector.

We will work in collaboration with Access and other funders, many of whom have greater resources than the Connect Fund.

The Connect Fund will continue to support the infrastructure of the social investment market by working with key stakeholders who have an important role to play as this situation evolves and who will be vital to responding to the needs of charities and social enterprises once the crisis has passed.

The size of the challenge facing the sector is bigger than the Connect Fund can manage, but where we can help, we will. If you are a current or recent partner of the Connect Fund and are concerned about the impact of the virus on your organisations, do please get in touch.

Read further information on our funding partner, Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, response to Covid-19.