The funding has been granted to expand our awards-nominated Covid Aid Support Community and expand our support for those with Long Covid – with more than two million people in the UK now affected by the long-term effects of coronavirus.
This new National Lottery funding will allow the charity to create new online courses on issues facing those with Long Covid, host new expert Q&As – previously partnering with the likes of Mind and Cruse for these – and to create specific groups and resources.
As a community-led charity our members have been central to the co-creation of our support, advice, and information on a variety of topics related to Covid-19, with Covid now having reached more than 175,000 people across the UK with its resources.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive.
Michael MacLennan, Covid Aid Founder and Chief Executive, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant means that we can support thousands more people affected by Long Covid – this is a number that has kept growing across 2022 and now affects more than two million in the UK alone. This will make a big difference to people’s lives.”
Launched in 2021, Covid Aid has been recognised for its efforts through multiple awards shortlistings for the Third Sector Awards, the Scottish Charity Awards, and the StartUp Awards, and other awards. It has partnered with other charities and organisations including Marie Curie and Asthma & Lung UK, launching and building an innovative member-led online Support Community.
During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost £1 billion to charities and community organisations across the UK.
