Sussex charity boss fears impact of autumn job losses

Reacting to the news that the Sussex Crisis Fund has topped £2 million, chief executive of the Sussex Community Foundation Kevin Richmond said: “It’s brilliant and is just a testament to the real generosity of local residents and a great effort from our team.

READ MORE: Sussex Crisis Fund hits £2 million

“But the work goes on and the crisis fund is going to be needed for some time to come.

“We have been doing a lot of work to help charities move their services online so they can reach people with services like counselling and therapies, as well as helping food banks get supplies out to people who were shielding.

Kevin Richmond, CEO of the Sussex Community Foundation

“Looking ahead, the big concerns are twofold... one is that charities have not been able to raise funds in the ways they normally would, with events and so on, and the second is what is actually going to happen in our communities in the coming months.”

In Sussex, 200,000 people have been furloughed and 378,000 applied for self-employment support.

As the furlough scheme is set to come to an end this October, Mr Richmond said there is a “great concern” for individuals relying on this support.

He said: “Our biggest worry is people losing their jobs.

“Crawley is going to be hit especially by the drop in activity at Gatwick Airport.

“The real concern is the impact of redundancies on people. Charities will be in higher demand to help with the problems of financial burden and the impact this can have on relationships and mental health.

“Our job is to make sure the charities are there to respond that increased demand, as they can make a huge difference to people’s lives.

“What’s really positive is the incredible response people have show, whether it’s giving money or volunteering.

“That’s what will see us through the challenges ahead.”