Campaign by Steve Morgan to help charities through pandemic helps one million people – The Guide Liverpool

18/05/2020

The founder of theSteveMorganFoundation announced in March he would be giving up to 1m a week to charities in Merseyside, North Wales and Cheshire faced with a cashflow crisis as a result of Covid-19.

In the first eight weeks the Covid-19 Emergency Fund has made more than 400 awards to frontline charities helping overonemillionpeople.

Over 4m of the 5m committed to date has been paid out. This sum includes a 1m match-fund campaign by Cheshire Community Foundationto support charities helping vulnerable people affected by the pandemic.

The founder of house builder Redrow and former owner of Wolverhampton Wanderers is also locked in talks to fund a significant 3m Covid-19 medical trial that he cant currently talk about.

Steve said he was stunned at reaching the one million people milestone but insisted the work was far from over.

Im speechless that weve been able to help one million people in just eight weeks but I think it highlights the size of the need out there, he said.

We are working with some fantastic partner charities who are able to make sure that the right help gets to the right people at the right time.

Had we done nothing my concern was the most vulnerable people in society would have suffered the biggest hardship.

The one million people helped have faced a wide range of problems including homelessness, food poverty, mental health,social isolation and bereavement.

Awards have varied fromafew hundred pounds to 150,000 butMorgansaid the key has been turning the applications around quickly.

A lot of the charities would have closed if theyd had to wait six months for funding so we paid the money into the accounts in a couple of days. Over the course of the first seven weeks weve seen the number of applications reduce from 165 in week one to just 34 last week but thats to be expected.

Morgan said the Foundation was carrying out an ongoing review of its Covid-19 campaign before deciding what to do next.

Its a such a fluid situation and its changing all the time, he said. This is the first phase. One thing Im concerned about is peoples mental health and what the impact of Covid-19 and a sustained period of isolation will be.

Jess and Paul Clare from Liverpool are among the one million people to have been helped by the Steve Morgan Foundation Covid-19 Emergency Fund.

The couples only child Olivia died two weeks short of her first birthday in December 2019 from a heart condition and theyve been receiving help from a Merseyside bereavement charity calledLove, Jasmine.

The charity was awarded 9,500 by the Steve Morgan Foundation after facing being unable to pay its sessional counsellors because ofCovid-19.

Olivia Clare

Jess said: I dont think we could have got through it withoutLove, Jasmine. We had lots of well-meaning family and friends but they could never truly understand what its like to lose a child because thankfully theyve not been through it.

Were still struggling with it but because of the funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation were able to stay in touch with the charity which is really important as weve currently gotlimitedcontact with our family because of Covid-19.

Seven-year-old Noah Spray is another one of those to benefit after the Steve Morgan Foundation awarded theStick n Stepcharity that he uses 21,000 in emergency funding.

Stick n Step has beenhelping children with cerebral palsy for nearly 20 years and Noah travels from his home inFlintshire, North Wales, to their Runcorn base for weekly life-changingconductive education sessions.

Covid-19 meant the face-to-face sessions had to stop but the charity has been able to offer avirtual service to their young users after the Steve Morgan Foundation stepped in.

Noah

Noahs mum Liz said: In Noahs case Ive been able to see him transfer the skills hes been taught at Stick n Step into his life and into his school. Who knows what hell be capable of in the future. Its made such a difference.

Weve had a lot of support from Stick n Step. Our conductor is called Beccy and shes been in constant touch and Noah has a full list of activities.

Its important to keep that link going. Hes able to see lots of his friends on Facebook and were very grateful to the Steve Morgan Foundation for stepping in to help.

Several more charities that have received financial support from the Covid-19 Emergency Fund have been quick to add their thanks and explain how the money has been used.

Charles Maines, CEO of Cheshire-based The Wishing Well, which was awarded 26,282, said:We are now delivering over 200 meals a day to vulnerable people who are self-isolating in South Cheshire. As well as this we have our phone befriending service now in place that is reaching out to over 60 people every day.

The North Wales Emergency Doctor Service (NWEDS) were able to recruit and equip two new paramedics after being awarded 30,000 by the Steve Morgan Foundation.

Dr Bryn Ellis, a specialist registrar in anaesthesia anda volunteer withNWEDS, said: The funding received from the Steve Morgan Foundation has enabled the North Wales Emergency Doctor Service to equip its responders to help support the Welsh Ambulance Service during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Social enterprise RainbowBizCIC was saved from closure after receiving 10,000 from the Steve Morgan Foundation.

The organisation works with the most marginalised members of the North Wales community and was facing a cashflow crisis when Covid-19 forced them to close their Hippy Shop in Mold.

Director Sue Oliver said: Since receiving the funding our organisation feels secure in the short-term. Our bills continue to be paid even though our trading arm and source of sustainability has had to temporarily close.

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Campaign by Steve Morgan to help charities through pandemic helps one million people - The Guide Liverpool