Julia and Hans Rausing donate £16.5 million to Covid-19 causes

Julia and Hans Rausing have announced that they are giving £16.5 million to charities and causes tackling the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK, including £5 million to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Appeal. Funds raised for the Covid-19 Appeal will be used to fund well-being packs for NHS staff and volunteers on wards/departments, the cost of travel, parking, accommodation for NHS staff and volunteers, as well as volunteer expenses, and other items as requested by NHS Charities that enhance the well-being of NHS staff and volunteers caring for COVID-19 patients. The £5 million donation from Julia and Hans Rausing follows their £2.5 million grant announced last week to other Covid-19 related charities including the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Helpforce and FareShare amongst others. In addition to this, Julia and Hans have pledged a further £9 million in donations over the next six months for other Covid-19 related causes. Julia and Hans Rausing commented: “The Covid-19 Appeals launched by organisations such as NHS Charities Together provides immediate support to the well-being of the NHS staff who are at the forefront of this national emergency. All its staff and volunteers within the NHS are making huge sacrifices every day to care for those unwell and this is a rallying cry to inspire others to support these national heroes and provide vital support for those in need.” Ellie Orton, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, said: “This £5 million grant from the philanthropists Julia and Hans Rausing is an incredible gift and marks the single biggest donation from a family or individual in our appeal. We have increased our target to £100 million and we hope others join the appeal to support the awe-inspiring work being carried out by NHS staff and volunteers up and down the country to fight this pandemic.”    

from UK Fundraising https://ift.tt/2WMTge3