The news follows a raft of new donations to the fund including £5000 from the Leahy Foundation, the charitable organisation set up by Liverpool-born former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy.

Today (Thursday 16 April) has also seen the next wave of £66k in direct grants from the fund awarded to local charities and organisations supporting the Liverpool City Region through the coronavirus crisis. Less than a month after it was first launched, the fund has already handed out a total of £228k to groups serving the city region community.

15 organisations including mental health charities, foodbanks and hospices have been given the grants to help them continue their vital work, from distributing food and care packages to running telephone and online services which help reduce isolation to providing compassionate care for those separated from their families.

LCR Cares was launched by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram in partnership with registered charity Community Foundation for Merseyside to support local community and voluntary organisations on the frontline of helping the city region’s communities cope with the impact of Coronavirus.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“It’s incredible that we are more than half way to our £1 million target for LCR Cares, thanks to the generosity of individuals, businesses and organisations, and I’d like to say a particular thank you to Sir Terry Leahy for the generous donation from his foundation.

“Nearly as fast as the money is coming in we are getting it back out into the community, where it is making a real difference.  To have given nearly a quarter of a million pounds to more than 50 organisations in just a couple of weeks is amazing, and it’s even better to know the good that money is doing.

“Thank you to everyone who has given and I’d like to encourage people to give what they can – now more than ever, we need to stand together in solidarity.”

Rae Brooke, Chif Executive, Community Foundation for Merseyside, said:

“This is an exceptional emergency and what is crucial in any emergency situation is speed of response. Managing to build a fund of over £575,000 in a matter of weeks is incredible but what is equally impressive is distributing over £220,000 of that to community groups in desperate and immediate need. The feedback we have had from the community groups supported is heart-warming and we can’t thank enough those who have donated to the fund. The need is great but so is the generosity of the people and businesses in the Liverpool City Region. To those who can support please keep giving, many vulnerable people need your help now and will continue to do so in the months ahead.”

Gayle Connor-McReith, Project Coordinator at the Opening Doors Project said:

“We’re so happy to have received this grant from the LCR Cares fund. Since we started our work in 2016, the aim of the Opening Doors Project has been to promote positive mental health in families and communities, something that is very important in this moment of crisis.

This money will help us to provide fast, reactive support to households in Walton who are facing hardship and isolation – whether that is by delivering food parcels or hosting online quizzes or arts and crafts sessions for families with young children.”

Clare Waller, clinical director at St. Joseph’s Hospice, said:

“We are delighted that the LCR Cares community fund had awarded the hospice £5k towards the essential PPE that we so urgently need to keep our nurses and carers safe.

 “At St. Joseph’s Hospice we provide compassionate end of life care to patients across the Liverpool City Region. Our nurses and carers are currently working under extremely challenging circumstances to give the utmost care for our patients while their loved ones are unable to visit during this crisis.

 “As a charity, we rely on the support of our communities and local businesses but with so many of our income streams currently unavailable, this grant will provide a much-needed boost.”

Details on how to donate are on the Combined Authority’s website. Search “LCRCares” or visit www.lcrcares.co.uk

Community organisations can apply for grants by visiting: www.cfmerseyside.org.uk

The 15 recipients of funding in this wave are:

Liverpool Six Community Association – £5,000

Provide food packages and general essentials to vulnerable members of the community. The grant will be used for volunteer expenses.

The Opening Doors Project – £2,000

Provide the online activities for families and continue to deliver the emergency foodbank. The grant will be used for travel costs, items for the foodbank and marketing\.

St Joseph’s Hospice – £5,000

To protect staff and patients during the virus.  Funding will cover the costs of face masks, disposable gloves and disposable aprons.

Norris Green Community Alliance – £4,000

Provide food packages for vulnerable community members. The grant will be used to pay one staff member to support the volunteers with deliveries of food and packing and answering the telephone.

Liverpool Community Advice – £4,000

Provide financial wellbeing checks and offer specialist advice for vulnerable members of the community. The grant will be used for staff, stationary, rent and equipment.

The Whitechapel Centre – £5,000

Support with daily welfare visits and regular food and toiletry parcels. There will also be telephone calls to vulnerable people. The grant will be used for travel, salary and items for the parcels.

Porchfield Community Association – £4,977

Offer emergency food and care parcels to the most vulnerable and provide online and telephone support to help reduce isolation. The grant will be used for staff, food package items and telephone costs.

St. Leonards Youth & Community Centre – £5,000

Provide support to local residents by using the funding to run South Sefton Foodbank.

Marine in the Community – £4,674

Deliver food, activities and hygiene packages and arrange transport for vulnerable people in the community. The grant will be used for salary, transport, equipment and food items.

Widnes & Runcorn Cancer Support Group – £3,000

Support vulnerable people in the community that are affected by Cancer. The grant will be used for support our work, cover IT support, equipment, telephone call costs, postage costs.

CELLS Project CIC – £3,819

Purchase resources to allow remote-working and distanced-support for vulnerable people in the community.

PLS Food Foundation – £5,000

To purchase food from wholesalers to be distributed daily to those in need.

Merseyside Law Centre – £5,000

Support with capital costs to transition from face-to-face services to over the phone.  Funding will cover laptops and mobile phones.

Riverside Credit Union – £5,000

To transfer activities on-line to provide a fully functioning on-line service and a new app to benefit people who do not have a bank account.

Age UK Wirral – £5,000

Purchase tablet computers that can be used for video calling so that vulnerable members in the community will feel more connected.