Wimbledon Foundation Steps Up Support for Local Charities
April 24, 2020
The Wimbledon Foundation, the charitable arm of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) and The Championships, has increased its support for local charities in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It announced a new series of local pledges to go alongside its five existing grant programmes in the UK which already offer funding to projects helping to tackle social problems and address inequalities in the boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth in the UK.
When the organisation recently communicated the cancellation of The Championships 2020, the AELTC said it was looking at ways to help the community and the UK respond to the crisis. It previously confirmed that it had offered its facilities to the NHS as well as the London Resilience Partnership, a collection of agencies in London fighting the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
Bruce Weatherill, Chairman of the Wimbledon Foundation, said: “During this unprecedented time, we want to do all we can to support organisations working tirelessly to support individuals and communities affected by the coronavirus crisis.
“These donations are a starting point and we are actively planning what more we can do to support those most in need.”
The Wimbledon Foundation will offer support to local organisations delivering vital supplies to the most vulnerable in the local community, with donations to Age UK Merton, Age UK Wandsworth, Glass Door Homeless Charity, the Merton Winter Night Shelter, Wandsworth Foodbank and Wimbledon Foodbank.
Meanwhile, support for the NHS will also be made available through a donation to St George’s Hospital Charity’s Coronavirus Appeal, which helps to fund medical equipment and supplies, provide mental health and welfare support to hospital staff and access to local accommodation for key NHS frontline staff to protect them and their families.
The foundation has committed to being flexible with its grant programmes in order to allow charities and community organisations to prioritise the most vulnerable in their communities.