Launch of our new Covid impact report: A year like no other

The new report outlines a record year of both grant-making and fundraising as we rose to the challenges of Covid

02.08.2021

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We are delighted to share our new Covid impact report

It reveals how we responded to the Covid crisis, distributing a record £5.2 million between April 2020 and March 2021.

The report ‘A year like no other: responding together to the Covid crisis 2020/21’ shines a light on the remarkable reach and impact of our grant-making, and the role of community action and local charitable giving. Last year a total of 930 projects received our grant funding to help local communities.

Together, these projects funded through us supported over 590,000 people in Bristol, B&NES, North Somerset and South Glos. This includes those self-isolating or shielding, hungry families or people needing mental health support due to the pressures of the pandemic. Many of these people are often marginalised from mainstream support and opportunities or live in the most deprived areas.

Highlights and impact  2020/21

Local impact

• Feeding Bristol is just one of the many groups to receive support from us last year. They played a crucial role coordinating food provision in Bristol throughout the pandemic. Working closely with partners, they ensured that people across the city had access to essential supplies. A grant of £52,367 helped them respond to the immediate crisis and lay foundations for longer-term support for families in need
• Bath City Farm is another group that received support from us last year. They used a grant of £8,975 to create opportunities for young people. They devised a sheltered outdoor space and the young people are playing an active role, helping to design and build the space. Work is now underway and once complete, it will be used for dedicated youth work, including therapeutic and learning activities.
• Alabaré Christian Care and Support offers 33 beds across North Somerset for homeless adults. As residents live near each other in shared homes, additional equipment like kettles and toasters, and practical measures were needed to keep residents safe and supported in the event of an outbreak. A grant of £5,000 helped them create more self-contained and safer living spaces, and gave residents greater access to online support.
• CVS South Gloucestershire is another group we supported last year. The pandemic has seen an inspirational rise in people volunteering to support their own communities. Informal groups, as well as local charities, quickly got much-needed help to people who were shielding or isolating and to those struggling to put food on the table. A grant of £16,848 enabled CVS South Gloucestershire to offer these groups support and training, to pay volunteer expenses and to help them link in with others. This provided safe, timely and joined-up help to people across South Gloucestershire that continued beyond the first lockdown.

Quartet recorded its highest ever total of donations and voluntary income last year, £16.7 million. This ranged across both local and national funds, including the National Emergency Trust.

Quartet’s permanent Endowment Fund now stands at £56.6 million, making it one of the largest of any community foundation in the UK.

I’m so proud of everything the team has achieved over the past year and in the face of enormous challenges. Yet 16 months on the pandemic is far from over, and the demand for our grants continues to grow. Quartet is here to bring together people who want to help the local community with projects that make a real difference. I’d invite anyone interested in helping to tackle this rising need to read the report and get in touch with the team.

Sue Mountstevens – Chair, Quartet Board of Trustees

This next year will be a crucial one

Our work is far from over.  As well as highlighting the social impact of our grant-making, the report also outlines our future plans. It looks ahead at what needs to be done to support the local charitable sector as it tackles social needs exacerbated by the pandemic.  We’ve launched a Recovery Fund and are keen to hear from individuals and companies interested in working with us.

Suzanne Rolt, CEO Quartet Community Foundation:

“During the pandemic we’ve worked like never before, with record levels of funds both raised and distributed. This has only been possible thanks to the generosity of our donors and fund holders. Through their support and by working collaboratively with partner community organisations, we’ve been able to make a significant impact on local lives.

“We recognise that the need for support across local communities is as high today as it has been throughout the pandemic. This is not a return to business as usual – Quartet is helping organisations to adapt and to work in new ways. This requires longer term, strategic support.

“At Quartet we’d love to hear from people inspired by this work so we can work together to deliver a well thought out Recovery Plan.”