The Morrisons Foundation offers a £500,000 lifeline to homeless people

There are around 320,00 homeless people in Briton and experts are warning more must be done to avoid a spike in homelessness due to the pandemic’s economic impact.

The emergency funds are being provided by the charitable arm of Morrisons supermarket. Many homeless people and charities are facing significant pressures.

There has been a 48 per cent decline in voluntary income to charities since the onset of Covid-19. At the same time, charities have seen a 20 per cent reduction in staff due to self-isolation and sickness.

Some charities have had to urgently source PPE equipment, food and everyday essentials.

Charities will be able to apply for emergency funding to pay for these costs.

David Potts, Chief Executive of Morrisons, said: “Morrisons is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society. We know that the coronavirus outbreak presents a particular risk to the homeless and we want to do our bit to help. This new fund will help charities doing vital work to care for the homeless at this critical time.”

Nick Connolly, Managing Director of End Youth Homelessness, said: "Our member charities need cash to pay for staff, personal protective equipment, food and other essentials to a level they could not possibly have envisaged a few months ago. We are so pleased this is being recognised."

Rough sleepers are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 because they are more likely to have underlying health conditions and are less able to access basic sanitation.

Charities can apply online for grants of up to £10,000 at www.morrisonsfoundation.com and successful applications will be fast tracked for payment.

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