Month: April 2020

Top tips to keep your hands in good health

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Dermatology team has issued some top tips for the public to keep their hands healthy in response to COVID-19.

With people washing their hands more than they ever have before, many of us will experience symptoms of dermatitis, manifesting in dry, chapped, itchy and swollen skin on our hands which can be very painful.

However, following some basic and practical advice can go a long way to ensuring we are able to keep hands clean – in line with national guidance – while also maintaining good hand health along the way.

Here’s some top tips for following guidance, treating dermatitis and mitigating the chances of it occurring:

  • Wash hands regularly with soap, paying attention to areas between the fingers and around the nails, for 20 seconds. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
  • Apply moisturisers after drying your hands. These should be fragrance-free. Use a greasier moisturiser at bedtime under cotton gloves (or socks) if hands are particularly chapped.
  • Avoid any wet work if your skin is very dry or splitting.
  • Try to wear gloves for household chores.
  • Avoid unnecessary tasks that add extra stress to the hands eg. use of bleach, painting and decorating, gardening, car washing etc.
  • Mild topical steroids can be purchased over the counter from community pharmacies and can be useful if skin itchy or inflamed. Use twice a day for a week whilst adhering to good hand care rules.

Con Gillespie, lead nurse for Dermatology at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “While it’s crucial for us all to be washing our hands more often, as a result, many of us will also have experienced symptoms of dermatitis such as dry, itchy skin, rashes and swelling.

“This change occurs due to skin being irritated by cleaning products such hand sanitiser and soap, and even water. It can be quite painful if untreated so following these basic but effective tips will help minimise any irritation, and help your keep your hands healthy throughout COVID-19.”

Charity provides Emergency Supply Packs to Sick Kids’ Hospital

An Edinburgh children’s charity is providing emergency supply packs to support children and families in hospital through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) – which supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children – has launched an emergency appeal to help families having to cope with the impact of the outbreak on top of the distress of having a sick or injured child.  

The free emergency packs contain non-perishable food products and essential items including nappies, toilet roll, tinned soup, beans and tea bags so parents and carers do not have the additional stress of shopping for their families while their child is in hospital.  

As well as emergency parcels, ECHC is working hard to continue to provide its services to the RHSC during the pandemic. The charity’s hospital shop is staying open to fuel NHS staff over the coming weeks; it has launched a telephone support service to give advice and assurance to families; play specialists continue to provide smiles and distraction while the ward playrooms are closed; and it is continuing to provide parent accommodation so families can stay close to their children during lockdown.  

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “The safety of children, families and NHS staff is our immediate priority. These are unprecedented times for all of us and, just like at home, things are different at the ‘Sick Kids’. Children and families are anxious as the pandemic progresses. 

 “Right now, people may be feeling scared, stressed, isolated from family and friends or worrying how they will keep themselves and their family fed and occupied. Now imagine if you also had a child in hospital. 

“The incredible NHS staff are working round the clock to make sure every child gets exceptional care throughout the crisis and we at ECHC are doing everything we can to help to reduce fear and isolation and to comfort and support families when they need it most.   

“This is why we have launched our COVID-19 Emergency Appeal as we urgently need donations to continue to do this. Times are difficult for all of us, but if anyone would still like to give, donations could provide a family with a much-needed food pack, fund a special play session at a child’s bedside or pay for a mum and dad to stay in our parent accommodation and be close to their child at the toughest of times.”  

A donation of £10 could fund an emergency supply pack for one family, £15 could fund a special bedside play or creative session and £50 could pay for parents and carers to stay in ECHC’s parent accommodation for one week. 

Donations can be made online at https://echcharity.org/support-us/covid-19-appeal 

Extra hardship payments for students

A £5 million package of emergency financial support is being put in place to help students facing hardship as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Extra cash will be available to any university and college students now struggling as a result of COVID-19, including those attending private institutions.

The £5 million includes an additional £2.2 million for Scotland’s Higher Education (HE) Discretionary Fund specifically to address COVID-19-related hardships, which will be available to colleges and universities immediately.

University and college students will be able to apply for any emergency discretionary payments directly to their own institutions.

Further and Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said: “We are ensuring students studying in Scotland should have access to emergency support should they be facing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 or the social distancing and isolation measures that have been introduced.

“All bursaries, grants and loans are continuing to be paid as planned but the current unprecedented situation has resulted in increased hardship. That is why we are making extra funding immediately available for students most in need, to help alleviate concerns around accommodation costs, mental health issues, general living costs and wellbeing.

“Institutions will be provided with specific guidance on the discretionary funding related to COVID-19, to explain all relevant details while students can access the latest information on COVID-19 on the Student Information Scotland website.”

Student Information Scotland (SIS) website

An additional £2.2 million will be available immediately through the Higher Education Discretionary Fund, and will supplement £569,000 already issued. The remaining £2 million emergency student funding has been forward by the Scottish Funding Council from Further Education student support budgets for immediate use.

Other details of the emergency package include:

•    £100,000 available to support around 1,000 students studying with private providers, administered by Student Awards Agency Scotland and paid directly to affected students.

  • a three-month suspension by SAAS of all new debt recovery actions in respect to grants and bursaries, for students whose circumstances have changed and therefore may have to return overpayments – expected to benefit around 600 individuals. Where a student is experiencing difficulties SAAS will work with them to agree the best options, with suspension potentially one of the solutions. Some individuals may still wish to continue recovery with a reduced payment plan.•   an extension of the Care-Experienced Accommodation Grant from early April allowing eligible students to access support of a non-repayable grant of up to £105 per week – this is eight weeks earlier than usual benefiting around 200 students worth an estimated £200,000.

FCA confirms temporary financial relief for customers impacted by coronavirus

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today confirmed a package of targeted temporary measures to help people with some of the most commonly used consumer credit products. 

Following a short consultation the FCA will be going ahead with the proposals outlined last week, which will give firms the flexibility under our rules to provide temporary financial relief to those facing payment difficulties during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Christopher Woolard, interim Chief Executive at the FCA, said: ‘We know many people are suffering financial pressures brought on as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The measures we’ve announced are designed to provide people affected with short-term financial support through what could be a very difficult time. The changes will provide support for consumers with credit cards, loans and overdrafts, facing temporary financial difficulties because of the pandemic.

‘Customers should think carefully before making use of these measures and only do so if they need immediate help. Where they can still afford to make payments, they should continue to do so.

‘We know there is still more work to be done, and we will be announcing further measures to support consumers in other parts of the credit market in the future, including in the motor finance sector next week.’

The measures include firms being expected to:

  • offer a temporary payment freeze on loans and credit cards for up to three months, for consumers negatively impacted by coronavirus
  • allow customers who are negatively impacted by coronavirus and who already have an arranged overdraft on their main personal current account, up to £500 charged at zero interest for three months
  • make sure that all overdraft customers are no worse off on price when compared to the prices they were charged before the recent overdraft pricing changes came into force
  • ensure consumers using any of these temporary payment freeze measures will not have their credit file affected

The rule changes will be in force from today and the full range of measures will apply by Tuesday 14 April 2020.

This is to allow firms time to ensure they have the appropriate level of resources available to handle customer requests. All firms will be ready to receive customer requests by 14 April, although some firms including the major banks and building societies, will be adopting the changes today.

Consumers should check firm websites or social media posts for more information, and where possible use online services to request assistance.

This will reduce the pressure on firm call centres who are experiencing a high demand in calls due to the current pandemic situation. If consumers need to get in touch by telephone please be patient and, if you can, wait until after the Easter weekend, even if your lender is offering help sooner than the 14 April 2020.

In response to the consultation, the guidance now includes clarification on which products are in scope. In particular, the FCA are confirming that the following products are covered: guarantor loans, logbook loans, home collected credit, a loan issued by Community Development Finance Institution and some loans issued by credit unions, but only where these are regulated. The guidance also applies to firms which have acquired such loans.

These measures won’t replace normal forbearance rules where these would be more suitable for a consumer in serious and immediate financial difficulty. Consumers in financial difficulty should contact the Money Advice Service (MAS) for further guidance.

The FCA will keep this guidance under review.

Police issue email scam warning

We’re aware of an email scam going around which appears as if from the Government and NHS, asking for charitable donations to help fund their efforts.

Criminals will use any opportunity they can to defraud the public out of money, often impersonating professional and legitimate organisations.

  • Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into donating money, and never make donations by cash or gift card, or send money through transfer agents such as Western Union or Moneygram.
  • Be sceptical if you receive an email, text or WhatsApp in relation to #Coronavirus, and never click on any attachments or links.
  • Never provide personal data such as your full name, address and date of birth – scammers can use this information to steal your identity.

Further information on dealing with scams and fraud is available from Trading Standards Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland or visit: http://ow.ly/G5yg50yQ4qu

#COVID19
#ShutOutScammers

MPs want to hear experiences of people claiming benefits

Westminster’s Work and Pensions Committee wants to hear about how coronavirus is affecting people who rely on the benefits system as part of its new inquiry into the DWP’s response to the virus outbreak. 

The Committee is interested in finding out about the experiences of people who are having to claim benefits for the first time, the experiences of people who were already claiming benefits, and the experiences of people who need support but find they can’t claim any benefits.

The Committee has also published a letter from the Permanent Secretary at the DWP responding to several questions about the Universal Credit application process and how the Department is dealing with the unprecedented increase in applications. The letter reveals that nearly a million new claims were made between 16 March and 3 April this year.

Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “The DWP’s front line staff are making a herculean effort to deal with the unprecedented numbers of new claims for Universal Credit, and we thank them for everything they’re doing at such a difficult time.

“I know they will be focused on making sure that people who need money urgently get their payments as quickly as possible. But it is disappointing that the Permanent Secretary can’t tell us what proportion of people who’ve asked for an Advance payment have had one, or tell us anything about the delays that people are facing on DWP’s phonelines.

“So we can better understand the issues faced by people who rely on the benefits system, we’d like to hear from people about their experiences getting the support they need. We are keen to hear about any specific problems claiming benefits and also more generally about whether people are getting enough money to support themselves and their families during these immensely difficult days.”

Some of the questions the Committee is interested in are:  
  • How well is the Universal Credit system working for the unprecedented numbers of new claimants?
  • Has there been any improvement in the significant delays that new UC claimants were experiencing in the second half of March?
  • How quickly are people who ask for Advance payments of Universal Credit receiving their payments?
  • What lessons can be learned from the changes that have been made to the processes for verifying the identity of UC claimants? Are there any particular changes that should stay in place after the outbreak ends?
  • How effective have DWP’s communications with the public been during this period?
  • How do the needs of people claiming UC for the first time now differ from the needs of groups who’ve claimed UC in the past? How well is Universal Credit working for these new groups of people?
  • Are there any indications of how well the UC system will work for these claimants as they move into work in the short- to medium-term?
  • How well is the benefits system working for self-employed people who aren’t able to access the Government’s Self-employment Income Support Scheme? Is there a case for temporarily suspending the capital limits in UC during this period?
  • How easy is it for people to understand what they’re entitled to claim? For example:
  1. Is it clear enough how the benefits system interacts with other forms of Government support during this period, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme?
  2. Is it clear enough how public health guidance interacts with the benefits system?
  • How is the assessment process for Employment Support Allowance working? Have there been any difficulties with obtaining medical evidence to support claims?
  • What impact has the outbreak had on people who were waiting for a Mandatory Reconsideration of a decision, or who were going through the appeals process?
  • Have people who were already claiming benefits when the outbreak began seen any changes to the support they receive from DWP?
  • Are people who are claiming benefits receiving enough money to cover their basic living costs during this period?
  • Are there groups of people who need support but aren’t able to access it through the benefits system? What should DWP be doing to support those people?
  • Are support organisations and charities able to access the resources they need from DWP to support vulnerable people? What more could DWP be doing to facilitate that support?

GET INVOLVED

If you’re someone with personal experience of the benefits system, you might prefer to complete our short survey. The deadline is Wednesday 15 April.

If you’re responding on behalf of an organisation, or you’re an individual who wants to send us a longer written submission, you can send us your evidence here.

You don’t need to answer all of the questions below, and you can tell us anything relevant, even if it isn’t covered by these questions. The deadline for sending your views is 11am on Thursday 16 April.

University produces face masks for frontline health workers

Edinburgh Napier is rushing out scores of specially-designed visors to protect health workers on the Covid-19 frontline.

Workshop technician Colin Malcolm began churning out the face shields using a laser cutter at the Merchiston campus just hours after hearing about nurses trying to make their own from cotton before going on shift.

The masks – strips of polypropylene sheet plastic fastened to a clear acetate visor– are now being delivered to nurses and care workers who run the risk of infection every time they turn up for work.

The quick turnaround production line was set up on Monday after Ruth Cochrane, Enterprise Lead for the School of Arts and Creative Industries, heard from a relative who works as a community nurse in Ayrshire that she had been trying to make her own surgical mask from fabric.

Ruth also saw a social media post about design technology staff at Edinburgh Academy manufacturing face shields to donate to the NHS, and began discussions with Colin about how the University could modify the school’s design to produce a protective mask on our own workshop equipment.

Two large sheets of plastic, a laser cutter and a rivet gun were enough to inspire Colin’s own version of the design

After getting the go-ahead from University managers to be on the premises during the lockdown period, Colin made 20 of the protective masks during an initial session on Monday and hopes to have produced more than 100 by the weekend.

Ruth said: “The design is rudimentary and the masks are reasonably disposable but they will work as a stop-gap measure until official supply lines get going and I don’t think there will be a shortage of people to deliver them to.

“I have given a batch to a community nursing team, and the efforts of Edinburgh Academy have led to requests from nurses, care homes and hospices.

“We are in a situation where nurses are trying to make surgical masks in their own home, so we can certainly use our skills to create a better solution. Even if it only made one nurse safer at work for one day then it would have been worth having a go.”

Colin said: “At a time of national crisis many people are going the extra mile to make life a little bit more comfortable for others, so we are pleased to be able to use our skills and resources to bring a measure of protection to those who are working so hard in healthcare settings.”

Chancellor announces £30 million boost for Scottish charities

The Scottish Secretary has welcomed a Covid-19 charity funding boost from the UK Government.

Commenting on the funding package for charities announced yesterday by the Chancellor, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “Volunteers up and down the country do a tremendous amount to support the most vulnerable in our society. That support has never been more important than in these difficult times.

“The UK Government has set out a generous funding package for charities, which means an extra £30 million for the Scottish Government. I hope they will use that to support the incredible army of volunteers working so hard across Scotland to support those in need.

“The UK Government will also match fund the money raised by the BBC’s ambitious Big Night In, which will raise funds for good causes right across the UK.

“Today’s extra UK Government allocation to the Scottish Government is in addition to the £2.7 billion we have already allocated to it to fight Covid-19. And it is on top of the £330 billion of UK Government-backed loans to support businesses and households across the UK through these challenging times.”

The Chancellor announced £750 million to support for the charity sector in response to coronavirus:

Good afternoon.

I’m joined today by Steve Powis, Medical Director of the NHS, and Angela Mclean, Deputy Government Chief Scientific Adviser.

Let me start by reminding everyone about our step-by-step action plan to defeat coronavirus.

At every step of this process, we have followed the latest scientific and medical advice.

Our goal is to slow the spread of the virus and protect the ability of the NHS to cope.

We’ve taken unprecedented action to increase NHS capacity, with more beds, more staff and more equipment on the front line.

And we have told people to stay at home, so that we can protect lives and protect the NHS.

Today’s daily figures show that:

232,708 people in the UK have now been tested for coronavirus

60,734 people have tested positive, an increase of 5,492 cases since yesterday

19,438 people have been admitted to hospital

and sadly, of those in hospital, 7,097 have now died – an increase of 938 fatalities since yesterday

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have passed away.

People I’m sure will also want an update on the Prime Minister’s health. Heis receiving excellent care from the NHS team at St Thomas’s.

The latest from the hospital is that the Prime Minister remains in intensive care, where his condition is improving.

I can also tell you that he has been sitting up in bed and engaging positively with the clinical team.

The Prime Minister is not only my colleague, my boss but my friend; my thoughts are with him and his family.

The news about the PM reminds us how indiscriminate this disease is.

Nearly everyone in the country will know someone who has been affected – friends, family, neighbours, colleagues.

This is a terrible virus that respects no boundaries of status or geography or vocation.

But we are not facing it alone.

We are all taking part in a collective national effort to protect the vulnerable and each other, to secure our public services, and to save lives.

This endeavour is underpinned by an important, simple idea – that we depend on each other.

When you need it, when you fall on hard times, we will all, as one society, be there for you.

To take care of you, until you are, once again, ready to take care of yourself and others.

This idea has been central to all of our efforts to support people and businesses during this crisis.

We promised to do whatever it takes, and I am striving every day to keep that promise.

But when I say that we all depend on each other, I don’t just mean the relationship between individuals, businesses and the state.

One of our greatest strengths as a country is our civil society.

The local charities who provide so much compassion, care and community to the most vulnerable in our country.

You have not been forgotten.

British people, businesses and foundations are already doing their part to support our charity sector.

And today, we in government will do our part, as we build on our plan for the economy with a plan to support our social fabric.

There are nearly 170,000 charities in this country; and the truth is that we will not be able to match every pound of funding they would have received this year.

Charities can already use many of our existing schemes to support people and protect their staff.

All charities are eligible for the job retention scheme, and in line with medical advice, and just like any other employer…

…the right answer for many charities will be to furlough their employees..

But some charities are on the front line of fighting the coronavirus, and others provide critical services and support to vulnerable people and communities.

For them, shutting up shop at this moment would be to contravene their very purpose; their entire reason to exist.

Those charities have never been more needed than they are now; and they’ve never faced such a sudden fall in their funding.

So today I am announcing £750 million of funding for the charity sector.

£370 million of that funding will support small, local charities working with vulnerable people.

We all know who they are; those small charities in our villages, our market towns, in pockets of our cities…

…the unsung heroes looking after the vulnerable and holding together our social fabric.

In England, this support will be provided through organisations like the National Lottery Communities Fund.

And we will allocate £60 million of this funding through the Barnett formula to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK government will also provide £360 million directly to charities providing essential services and supporting vulnerable people, as we battle the coronavirus.

Up to £200 million of those grants will support hospices…

…with the rest going to organisations like St Johns’ Ambulance and the Citizens Advice Bureau…

…as well as charities supporting vulnerable children, victims of domestic abuse, or disabled people.

And last night the BBC announced their Big Night In charity appeal on April 23rd…

…and today I can confirm that the government will match pound for pound whatever the public decides to donate…

…starting with at least £20 million to the National Emergencies Trust appeal.

Two short weeks ago I spoke of the need for kindness, decency and the sort of neighbourliness that is at the heart of these charitable and community efforts.

The normally invisible connections between us have, in recent weeks, become more apparent.

For most of us, we spend our lives oblivious to these connections, these bonds, and how our behaviours, however small, can have a dramatic effect on others.

But these bonds are not invisible for our local charities.

For the volunteer keeping victims of domestic violence safe.

For the outreach worker helping a rough sleeper find a bed.

Or for the support worker manning the phones to help stave off the heart wrenching loneliness so many of our elderly relatives and friends will be experiencing right now.

These connections might be hard to see, but they are there, and they are strengthened by our compassion for others.

Charities embody this like no other organisation.

And their lesson is that the simplest acts have the potential to change lives.

At this time, when many are hurting and tired and confined, we need the gentleness of charities in our lives.

It gives us hope.

It makes us stronger.

And it reminds us: we depend on each other.

Thank you.

After taking questions, the Chancellor concluded:

Today was about supporting charities, who are a critical part of the social fabric of this country.

It builds on the economic plan we’ve already announced:

To protect people’s health and economic security, by supporting public services like our NHS, backing business, and protecting people’s jobs and incomes.

And I would conclude by saying this:

Our economic plan, and the plan for charities I have announced today, are built on one simple idea: that we depend on each other.

Thank you.

 

Coronavirus: 41 deaths in Lothian

Further information will help inform ongoing response to outbreak

The Scottish Government is publishing additional data daily in order to provide a clearer picture of how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is progressing in Scotland.

The information below will be published every day at 2pm on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/.

Additional data published from Wednesday 8 April includes:

• total number tested positive and being treated in intensive care
• confirmed or suspected cases being treated in intensive care (in total and by health board)
• confirmed or suspected cases being treated in hospital (in total and by health board)
• Scottish Ambulance Service attendances for total and suspected cases (including suspected cases taken to hospital)
• NHS Staff COVID-19 related absences by day for the last week
• number of calls to the COVID-19 Helpline
• number of calls to 111 (all patients not COVID-19-related)
• number of people delayed in hospital (all patients not COVID-19-related)

This is in addition to the information currently provided:

• number of people in Scotland tested for COVID-19
• number tested negative/positive
• number tested positive and died
• number tested positive by health board

Separate to the daily published data above, including those deaths with a laboratory positive result for COVID-19, Wednesday 8 April also sees the first publication by a weekly report by National Records of Scotland on all deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate by the doctor who certified the death.

This includes cases where the doctor noted that there was suspected or probable coronavirus infection involved in the death. These weekly statistics will provide valuable information on the spread and impact of COVID-19 across Scotland, will complement the daily statistics produced by HPS and provide a useful comparison with the weekly ONS death statistics.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “It is important to understand why this information matters. It is not just that we want to count how many people are affected by this virus, although that is of course very important.

“This information is also essential to helping us to understand who is most severely impacted by the virus, how it has spread and is spreading across the country, and whether there are any hot spots where there are more cases than we would expect to see.

“It also helps us plan for how many beds we will need in our hospitals, and it will help to tell us when the peak of this virus has passed, and when we might be able to make decisions about lifting some of these restrictions.

“I know, and have reflected on this previously, that it can be really hard hearing accounts of numbers of deaths. I understand that it can make us feel powerless – that something we cannot see or feel is taking so many lives.

“But we all do have power as individual citizens and I want again to stress that, by following the rules, by staying at home and by self-isolating when we have symptoms, all of us can help to reduce the number of deaths.

“Finally, I have said this on several recent occasions but I think it appropriate to say it again. I focus on the statistics in these updates because they are really important to give us some overall sense of how the virus is spreading. But I am acutely aware that deaths are much more than statistics.

“Each and every one of these deaths represents an individual whose loss is a cause of deep grief. So I want once again to express my condolences to everyone who has lost friends, family or loved-ones.”

covid-deaths-report-week-14

National Records of Scotland yesterday released figures on the number of total deaths in Scotland related to Covid-19. The total number of deaths up to 5th April 2020 is 354, with 41 deaths in NHS Lothian.

16.2% of the total deaths in Scotland between 30th March to 5th of April (week 14) mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.

The National Record of Scotland figures are higher than the number published daily on the Scottish Government website because NRS figures include all cases were Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.

The 41 deaths in NHS Lothian account for 1.7% of deaths in the health board since the start of 2020 (weeks 1 to 14).

Scottish Conservatives health Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “My condolences are with the families and friends of people who have died from Coronavirus.

“These figures give a clearer picture of how Covid-19 cases are escalating and the number of people were Covid-19 has been a contributing factor in their death.

“We must all continue to follow official guidelines and do everything we can to protect the people most vulnerable to Coronavirus.”

What could YOUR Community do with £5,000 from the Calor Rural Community Fund?

Now in its fourth year, leading off-grid energy supplier, Calor, is once again calling on worthy rural community projects of all shapes and sizes to enter its Rural Community Fund for 2020 and be in with the chance of securing grants from its £85,000 fund pot.

Calor is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year and is marking the milestone by making this year’s investment bigger than ever before, with a grand total of £85,000.

The competition, which opened for applications on 10th March and closes on 9th April, enables rural communities who aren’t connected to the mains gas grid the opportunity to apply for a grant of either £1,000, £2,500 or £5,000 for much-needed projects, such as purchasing new equipment for community spaces or building new facilities for families nearby to enjoy.

Applicants will be listed on the Calor Rural Community Fund website and then encouraged to share their project as much as possible through social media to gain points. Those projects with the highest amount of points in each funding category will become shortlisted finalists, and will be reviewed by a Calor Committee before being announced as Finalists.

As the business continues to play an important role within Britain’s countryside communities, this year’s fund will mean that Calor has given £225,000 to grass-roots causes since 2017, at a time where investment in local resources is especially tight.

Designed to offer rural communities that aren’t connected to the mains gas grid a chance to win funding for initiatives which will improve local life, Calor’s grants have already had a massive impact on over 50 heart-warming projects.

Previous recipients include a community kitchen in Dover looking to combat loneliness, drama groups in Norfolk offering children a space to be creative and emergency rescue teams in Wiltshire who needed new life-saving equipment.

Andy Parker, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Calor, said: “At a time when investment in local communities and facilities is scarce, we are again showing our support and passion for countryside communities through the Calor Rural Community Fund.

“We are delighted to continue this scheme as it provides a much needed boost to rural life, and so we would urge any local projects that need funding for anything from a new roof to essential repairs to enter this year’s fund.”

To find out more about the Calor Rural Community Fund and how to enter, head to communityfund.calor.co.uk.