National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA)

National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA)

/ Funded projects, Grants, Networks

Project: Covid-19 Emergency Infrastructure Funding

Grant: £30,000

The Covid-19 crisis has made a huge ask of the voluntary sector nationally and especially locally. Local charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises are on the frontline caring for people directly affected by the virus as well as supporting the health and social care systems. Local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) are helping to coordinate local volunteering schemes and supporting work to maintain some of the essential services needed by the most vulnerable in our society within the current government guidance. NAVCA’s team has been working not only to ensure the UK Government and other funders provide appropriate packages of support for the sector but also supporting its members by sourcing and providing information and technical resources to enable them to respond to the crisis efficiently and safely.

The Connect Fund has provided a grant to strengthen NAVCA’s capacity to respond to the Covid- 19 emergency and maintain member services during the crisis. NAVCA’s continued presence in the voluntary infrastructure sector will be hugely important to the future of the social investment market. There is likely to be a greater opportunity to explore social investment with more organisations once activities are able to return to normal. Many charities and social enterprises will have been forced to adapt their ways of working and others will be more open to seeking ways to diversify their income, in light of the impact of Coronavirus on the sector. NAVCA will be well placed to use its knowledge and connections to ensure information about how to prepare for and access social investment reaches those who need support.