Doncaster Chamber support for charities facing tough times

The Chamber has a number of charity members who work with people of all ages to tackle issues including child literacy, helping those with special educational needs and providing palliative care.

New forum events aimed at the sector include a speaker panel.

Joanne Ward, interim director of Voluntary Action Doncaster, said: “We have a vibrant and diverse charity sector in Doncaster and Doncaster Chamber’s Charity Forums are a great opportunity for people to come together, learn from a great line-up of speakers and do some virtual networking.

"Hopefully this will be the first in the series of many more valuable sessions to come in the future."

There were shared concerns surrounding each organisation’s financial position as major fundraising events were cancelled and donors became increasingly concerned about their own economic positions.

Yet, despite the obstacles, the sector has continued to support those who needed them most.

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Doncaster-based The Sleep Charity adapted their approach. Deputy CEO Lisa Artis said: “For us, it has been a challenging time as most of our income came via delivering training. Sleep doesn't attract a great deal of funding, so not only did we lose our funding overnight but we saw a huge increase in sleep issues and inquiries.

“We moved from running our face-to-face sleep clinics in Doncaster and other areas to online and telephone so that we could continue to support children and their parents who desperately need our help, especially in the difficult and stressful times.”

Doncaster Chamber assistant director of services, Jade Dyer said: “Doncaster’s charity sector plays a crucial role in supporting local communities with a range of services that are needed now more than ever.

"The Chamber has continued to work with these organisations during this challenging period to ensure they can continue to support those in need.”

The next Charity Forum event takes place on October, 15 with a focus on income generation and fundraising. Book a place through the website, https://www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk/.

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