Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

Our commitment as voluntary sector funders in Salford.

Salford City Council, NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group, and Salford CVS want to support our communities as much as we can during this unprecedented period. We are happy to extend our previous letter of support for the vital work the sector is doing across Salford.

As funders, grant givers and organisations that contract with the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, we’re committed to the Salford VCSE Strategy and working collaboratively with you as partners. We are therefore committing to supporting you as voluntary and community sector groups, charities and social enterprises (including our foodbanks and food clubs) that are currently in receipt of grant funding or have contracts in place from our organisations to use your skills, resources, relationships and networks to best meet the needs of the people that access your services and support.

To do this, we commit to:

• allow you to be creative in utilising your existing funding and resources to support the most vulnerable
• supporting you to direct and deploy your staff and volunteers safely in the best way that you can, taking into account the government guidance
• ease monitoring and reporting deadlines and expectations for the end of the current financial year to 31st March 2021 so that you can focus on your continuity plans and supporting the people that access your services and support.  Some reporting will be necessary as we approach the end of the financial year, but we agree to discuss this with you

In return, we ask you:

• to be flexible in your approach and to follow our guidance and information in order to keep people safe and to work with us and support our planning and connectivity to communities
• to use technology and digital solutions where possible to stay in contact with communities ensuring people are not isolated
• to connect through Salford CVS to be kept informed of how you can help and support the wider efforts in our borough
• to communicate any significant changes to your funded activities to your contract manager or grant manager, and particularly where your activities provide statutory support to vulnerable people

At this time, we know that communities are a critical part of our defences. We encourage your energy, passion and creativity in keeping people safe and connected and we’d like to thank you for all that you’re doing to support people and communities across the city of Salford.

Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor

Jim Taylor, Chief Executive, Salford City Council

Steve Dixon, Chief Accountable Officer, NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group

Alison Page, Chief Executive, Salford CVS

November 2020

Download the letter from funders to the VCSE sector in Salford.