Shropshire charity awarded Government coronavirus grant
A Shropshire charity has been awarded a £10,000 Government grant to help fund its work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ethos Group runs three adapted bungalows in Oswestry where people are supported to live independently again after suffering an injury or illness which has resulted in them needing a wheelchair.
The £10,000 grant has come from the Government’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund.
It will pay towards an independent living housing support officer role to be based full-time at the Ethos Group accommodation.
Ethos Group chief executive, Fae Dromgool, said that the coronavirus crisis had affected many of the external support services for the charity’s clients.
“That has put pressure on Ethos to bridge the gaps and fill the void. This grant will help us over the next 12 months to make sure that our clients can continue their journey towards independent living while being safe and well cared for during and after the Covid 19 pandemic,” she said.
The new post will be part funded for the first six months by the grant and will provide Ethos clients with information, advice and skills training to help them move onto an independent life.
This will include helping clients find and move to a suitably adapted home and guiding them through the complex network of welfare benefits.
“We are very grateful to the Government for recognising the work that we do with this grant. Thankfully we have avoided any Covid-19 cases but it has been a difficult time with our resources stretched to the limit.
“The work we do undoubtedly prevents people with a spinal cord injury or physical disability from being placed inappropriately in expensive or inadequate accommodation. We also work directly to lessen the impact of delayed hospital discharge so this extra funding is very welcome,” said Fae.
