The coronavirus relief charity #InstaRainbowChallenge
Little over a week ago, two bloggers who go by the name Heartzeena and Talliwall kickstarted a social media challenge called the #InstaRainbowChallenge - all inspired by the NHS’ rainbow symbol in a show of support during the coronavirus pandemic.
I joined in but as things got worse in the UK, I found myself wanting to do more. So, I’ve ended up creating a rainbow list of charities corresponding to each day of the challenge - all of whom are all working tirelessly over the lockdown.
With many reporting that they were struggling to stay afloat as fundraising events have been cancelled and others have noted a drop in donations, a number have simultaneously seen a huge spike in demand for their help.
I’ve tried to include as many varied charities as possible, from organisations helping to fight food insecurity to supporting domestic abuse victims and of course ones assisting NHS workers. I’ve included donation links and ways to help them, but I appreciate not everybody has the money right now to donate. If you could just tell somebody who can about one of these organisations, that would make a big difference.
I love you all and hope you’re staying safe. x
Red - Food For London Now
[Full disclosure, I work for the Evening Standard - our logo is red for context - and this is a charity campaign being run by them.]
What they do:
Provide funds to charities battling London’s food insecurity problem, especially in relation to the pandemic.
How they do it:
Money raised by the fund goes towards charities including The Felix Project, FareShare and CityHarvest who all work to source and deliver food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners facing food insecurity.
Why they need your help now:
Because of the lockdown, it’s become harder for people who are more at-risk if they contract coronavirus to go outside and get the food they need as well as those living in poverty. As schools have also shut down, it also means that the free school meals for children have come to an end.
How to donate:
You can donate directly to Food For London Now here. Damien Hirst has also designed a special poster for the campaign, which you can print out and put in your window to raise awareness.
Orange - Centrepoint
What they do:
Support young people struggling with homelessness, with the aim of helping them return to education or employment
How they do it:
With the help of donations, they help provide housing for young adults on the streets as well as provide both mental and physical health support, advise and educate those suffering from homelessness and campaign on a national and local level for those affected.
Why they need help now:
Centrepoint revealed that as a result of the coronavirus, they were “facing a significant decline in the critical funds we need to keep our services open” and added that “demand for our services has risen.” It wrote, “Our fundraising income has fallen dramatically and we are facing a crippling shortfall.”
They have since launched an emergency coronavirus appeal, revealing that funds would go towards helping “pay for protective equipment” for staff looking after homeless young people staying at their centres, providing mental health for young people and more. For those without a home, self-isolating during the lockdown becomes almost impossible and puts their health and safety at risk.
How to donate:
You can donate to their appeal by texting the word SAFE to 70577 to donate £10. You can also donate on their website here, which breaks down how your funds will be used.
Pink - Refuge
What they do:
Provide support to women and children living with or escaping domestic and sexual violence, as well as victims of human trafficking
How they do it:
They provide temporary accommodation for people fleeing domestic abuse, give advice and support to survivors, while also providing tailored culturally-specific and gender-based violence support. They also operate a 24/7 Freephone hotline to provide support.
Why they need help now:
Although many of us may feel safe at home during lockdown, many others are trapped during lockdown with their abusers. Other countries such as China have seen a huge spike in domestic abuse cases as a result of the lockdown and the UK has already seen reports of a similar rise in cases, meaning more women need access to Refuge’s services than ever.
Their Chief Executive said in a statement, “Women’s lives depend on being able to keep our services running and we are doing everything we can to keep them open.”
How to donate:
You can donate to Refuge by following their link here.
Yellow - Dogs Trust
What they do:
A dog welfare charity that helps rehome and rehabilitate dogs that have been abandoned, abused or are at risk of being put to sleep.
How they do it:
They help look after dogs by helping arrange adoptions, foster carers and run rehoming centres where over 700 dogs are being cared. They also run a Dog School and have specific foster programmes for pets belonging to those fleeing domestic violence and facing homelessness.
Why they need your help now:
Dogs Trust has had to shut down their rehoming centres to the public as a result of the coronavirus, as well as their charity shops which help raise funds for the organisation.
There has been a spike in the number of domestic abuse cases in the UK as a result of the coronavirus lockdown and homeless people are also facing unprecedented challenges as a result of COVID-19.
Dogs Trust runs two foster programmes, one called the Freedom Project, which arranges foster care for pets of survivors of domestic abuse fleeing their abusers and another called the Hope Project, which arranges foster care for dogs whose owners are facing housing issues.
How to donate:
You can donate by heading to their official website here. Dogs Trust is also currently looking for foster volunteers for their Freedom Project in specific areas including Greater London and more information about applying can be found here.
Green - The Samaritans
What they do:
Provide 24/7 mental health assistance
How they do it:
They operate a telephone and email hotline that anybody can call to confidentially talk about their mental health.
Why they need help now:
Samaritans revealed at the start of April that their services were “under extra strain” as a result of the pandemic and put out an emergency appeal for more funds, in order to help recruit more volunteers and provide better services to those finding it difficult to cope during these times.
How to donate:
You can donate to the Samaritans on their website here which, like many on the list, reveals how your donation will be used to keep their helpline running.
Blue - Mind
What they do:
Provide support to anybody living with mental health problems
How they do it:
They advise and support individuals struggling with their mental health through a telephone Infoline and Legal Line, as well as campaign on a local and national level to improve mental health support providers such as the NHS, raise awareness about the issues and more.
Why they need help now:
It’ll come to no surprise to anybody reading this that everybody’s mental health has taken a toll as the result of the coronavirus pandemic. Mind has since launched an emergency coronavirus appeal, as well as created dedicated resources to helping anybody whose mental health is suffering over the pandemic period.
They’ve also teamed up specifically with Samaritans, Give Us a Shout and Hospice UK to provide 24/7 mental health support to key workers including NHS staff.
How to donate:
You can donate to Mind here and they provide a breakdown of how exactly your money will be used - explaining how the funds will be used to help pay for their Infoline hotline, peer support groups and more. They also provide the option to set up a monthly donation.
Purple - WellChild
What they do:
Support seriously ill children and their families
How they do it:
They provide resources and advice to families raising seriously ill children, help fund nurses who help train families to ensure children get to live at home rather than at hospital and more.
Why they need help now:
WellChild put out an appeal for funds in March, revealing that they had seen their “income suffer as fundraising events, collections and essential projects are cancelled across the country.” They added that given that 60% of their money comes from fundraising events, they had seen a drastic fall in funds to keep the charity afloat.
They also said that their team was “tirelessly doing everything we can” to support families raising children with serious health complications, who had all been severely impacted by the virus.
They have also worked to create a dedicated coronavirus support guide for families and have also set up a Direct Response Service which delivers groceries, essential items and more to families that need assistance.
How to donate:
WellChild have set up a WellChild Resilience Fund, whcih can be donated to via JustGiving. You can also donate on their official website here.
Glitter - Acting for Others
What they do:
Raise funds for charities providing mental health and financial support to acting and entertainment professionals, whose industries have been severely impacted by COVID-19
How they do it:
They raise and distribute funds to 14 charities under its umbrella, which includes charities for dancers, theatre workers and more.
Why they need help now:
Thousands of entertainment professionals have found themselves out of work as theatres across the nation have shut due to the pandemic and film and TV production has ground to a halt, leaving many out of work during this uncertain time.
How to donate:
You can donate by heading to their website here.
Rainbow - NHS Charities Together
What they do:
Provide support to NHS key workers, volunteers, patients and their families over this time
How they do it:
Funds raised through NHS Charities Together will go towards various organisations that support NHS workers in various ways, from helping with long term mental health support, facilitating ways for patients to communicate with self-isolated family membrs and more.
Why they need help now:
They’re at the front of this whole thing and deserve all the help they can get.
How to to donate:
You can head to the donation page here.