Emergency Community Chest funding made available as Hall & Woodhouse announces changes to grant scheme amid coronavirus pandemic

The brewer, which has pubs across Sussex, will make some of the community chest grant funding available immediately.

This will enable it to prioritise emergency funds to voluntary organisations that have been supported during the last two years and may be in financial difficulty in the coming months.

The remaining funds will be distributed later in the year, and will focus on supporting voluntary and charity organisations through their recovery and resilience phase.

Sussex Newspapers – which produces this newspaper – is the official media partner of the community chest, and has supported it since its launch more than ten years ago.

Mark Woodhouse, Hall & Woodhouse family director, said: “In these strange times we feel that it is very important to try to help many of the voluntary organisations that we have supported in the past, to survive and continue their great work in our communities.”

Hall & Woodhouse will also be extending its deadline for applications for grant funding from the community chest and to become a pub charity partner.

Once pub charity partners are able to reopen, each pub will fundraise for its dedicated charity partner in a variety of ways including organising pub quizzes, sponsored events and family fun days.

Lucinda Gray, Hall & Woodhouse company relationship manager, said: “The Hall & Woodhouse community chest was set up in 2002 to help our local communities and these valuable voluntary and charitable organisations need our support now more than ever, due to the current uncertain times.

“We are providing anyone who has already made an application with the opportunity to re-submit, as we appreciate priorities may well have changed and what was important a month ago may no longer be relevant in the current circumstances.

“We are here to serve our communities at times of need, and we are proud to deliver some vital funding to help people navigate this challenging situation.”

Charities and community groups now have until Thursday, April 30 to submit their applications.

Worthy causes can apply online for grants up to £5,000.

Application forms can be downloaded at www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk/community-chest and should be emailed to [email protected] for consideration.

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