Impact of COVID-19 on Community Benefit Fund Projects
Very early on in the pandemic, Lintel Trust and SPA recognised the impact that lockdown was likely to have on funded projects already being delivered and those community-based projects that were due to start. The vast majority of funded projects involve person to person contact, particularly those addressing social isolation.
In agreement with SPA, we were able to reassure Executive Committee members that we understood that priorities had to change and there would be inevitable delays to both project delivery and evaluation.
We also offered the option for organisations to re-purpose their funding to help their communities address more pressing needs caused by the pandemic. Some organisations have put their projects on hold in the hope that they will still run in the future. Others have used their funding to support local foodbanks
Reduced staffing due to furloughing has also impacted the number of evaluation reports received and we have been sensitive to the needs of SPA partner organisations.
As such, the full detail of Lintel Trust’s annual CBF report will not be available until all feedback has been received. For more information about the current community benefit projects in progress, read the SPA Annual Review 2019-2020.
Kate Christie, Senior Business Development Manager, Lintel Trust