Together for London – helping communities through the cost of living crisis

With inflation at the highest levels for decades people across the UK and beyond are directly impacted by increased food prices, energy bills, rent and mortgage payments. However, those who were already living in or near poverty are disproportionally affected.

London has the highest poverty rate in the UK, with 28% of people living in poverty compared with 22% for the entire country. It is particularly worrying that 74% of the adults living in poverty are in working families.

Many of these families and individuals turn to community groups for support. Across London there are 25,000 charities, of which 75% have less than £100,000 in annual income, mostly run by volunteers.

Laura Perkins, Director of Development and Communications at The London Community Foundation, explains that ‘many small charities are at a crisis point themselves at the moment as the cost of living crisis tips more people into poverty and increases dependence on their support. Just as people and charities were recovering from the pandemic, this will stretch everyone further.’

In response, The London Community Foundation has launched the ‘Together for London’ campaign to raise funds that will be distributed to small charities operating on the front line of the capital’s poverty crisis.

Laura Perkins explains ‘a recent survey of our community partners told stories of people forgoing meals, young people not making it to activities because transport is too expensive, elderly people not having money for heating, and women staying in abusive relationships because they worry about their finances.’

In direct response to this increased need, many charities are adding to their services, for example offering young people meals at youth clubs, or food parcels at drop in centres for the elderly. To support what is very much a humanitarian response, The London Community Foundation will provide these charities with emergency response funding for frontline services. They open for applications October 27, and promise a quick, nimble and light-touch application process for charities, with the aim to get the funds out before the end of the year.

‘Anyone who would like to support this effort, whether businesses, individuals or other funders, can donate directly to The London Community Foundation. Our grants team know communities and charities intimately, and will use this expertise to ensure we get the funds out quickly where it is most needed’, says Laura Perkins.

For more information, please visit https://londoncf.org.uk/together-for-london