Like so many of us, since mid March, the Foundation has had to adopt a whole new way of working to ensure the safety of our trustees but also to focus on the need to provide urgent help to the community.  The Foundation’s Community Relief Fund has a budget of £25,000 which is being specifically directed towards the Moray local authority area.  Small grants are being distributed to community groups and organisations which are delivering much needed services to the elderly and most vulnerable at this time.

Over £10,000 has already been distributed to 37 different groups across Moray.

Setting aside applications we have in hand has not been an easy decision.  Given the ongoing lockdown situation and the uncertainty relating to the damage to the economy over this period and beyond, trustees took the decision to suspend the general application process for the foreseeable future.

We have kept in close contact with those currently involved in the application process and will ensure to follow up on each and every individual case as we map out the next steps to restart general application procedures.  Rest assured, we will do our very best to work with everyone towards the gradual return to investigation of existing applications and new approaches for projects which have been forced on hold in recent months.

This crisis has created an outpouring of positive community spirit to ensure that those around us, particularly the most vulnerable, are kept as safe and comfortable as possible in their environments.  I hope that going forward we will all learn from how people have pulled together to get through so many challenges.  This is definitely a crossroads moment for the voluntary sector and in adapting to new ways of working, we need to capture this community spirit as a catalyst for change.  Many groups are collaborating and, in doing so, strengthening their ability to make positive change.   Working together, identifying new ways to improve your community going forward will determine whether or not you survive … or once again thrive.

If you know of any Moray based projects or are involved in an initiative to provide essential services to the elderly and most vulnerable, we would like to hear from you.  

In the meantime, do keep safe and well.

www.gebfoundations.com/covid