Wokingham’s Cowshed steps up support during COVID-19 with help of National Lottery grant

A Berkshire charity that sends out donated clothing and essentials to people in need has received a National Lottery grant to increase its support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cowshed in Wokingham, which was set up in 2018 to provide high-quality clothing and other basic items to local people, has seen a sharp increase in referrals since the pandemic began, and its team are working tirelessly around the clock to meet the increased demand. In the past four weeks the project has helped over 100 people, with that number increasing all the time.

The clothes are donated by generous local people, as well as retailers and manufacturers; they are then sorted, washed and ironed to be delivered or collected by social services, other health professionals or the people the project supports. Working alongside over 130 other organisations and charities across the county – including Berkshire Women’s Aid, Brighter Future and Home-Start – the project also receives referrals for other items and essentials where needed, such as footwear, bedding, toiletries and nappies.

In addition to this, and with support from a £3,000

grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, the team at The Cowshed has also been busy creating and sending out craft packs to keep young children entertained and creative while in lockdown. These packs include games, books, craft materials and colouring pens. The cowshed has already provided nearly 500 of these, all supplied in bags made from recycled material by a group of amazing volunteer “craft-ladies”, who are working incredibly hard from home to make sure there are enough to meet the increased demand.

Sally Russell, CEO of The Cowshed, said: "We are so grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund, without their grant we would not have been able to continue supplying our craft packs which go to the most vulnerable families in Berkshire - many of whom have no outdoor spaces and would struggle to afford to provide items such as these to their children during this crisis."

The Cowshed is one of two community groups in Wokingham, and one of seven in Berkshire, to receive a share of over £40,000 for the county last month from The National Lottery Community Fund. This funding, raised by National Lottery players, is part of the comprehensive package of support of up to £600 million, recently unveiled by National Lottery distributors as a whole, going to charities and organisations supporting communities, the arts, heritage, education, environment and sports.

Helen Bushell, Head of Funding for the South and East of England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It has been heartening to see how communities in the South East have been responding to the crisis. The Cowshed in Wokingham is just one of the many projects, from grassroots groups to larger charities, working tirelessly to support their community through these extremely difficult times.

“National Lottery players can be proud that the money they’ve raised is making a real difference at a time when it is most needed. We will carry on getting vital funding out to charities and voluntary sector organisations, so they can step up to overcome obstacles caused by the pandemic and help their community to rebuild and recover in the future.”

The COVID-19 crisis has sparked an influx of groups seeking funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support their communities through these times. Overall, compared to the same time last year*, requests for funding have increased by 55%, while visits to the funder’s website have shot up by 47%. The most apparent spike in applications has been for smaller grants, with requests for funding up to £10,000 increasing by 51% year-on-year.

Going forward, The National Lottery Community Fund will continue to prioritise getting funding to groups best placed to support their communities at this vital time and also towards those seeking to rebuild as the crisis abates.

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Last year it awarded £1.4 million a day on average to projects that help people and communities thrive.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk