Bentley Partners With Cheshire Community Foundation to Launch COVID Impact Fund

• Bentley is working with Cheshire Community Foundation (CCF) to launch a Covid impact fund focusing on community projects in the Crewe area
• The fund will be open to not-for-profit organisations running projects to tackle food poverty; mental health and wellbeing; debt relief and financial education
• The fund will be administered through long-term partner - Cheshire Community Foundation
• Support for the local community underlines Bentley’s Beyond100 commitment to advancing life chances through corporate social responsibility programme.

Bentley Motors is working with long-term partner, Cheshire Community Foundation to launch a Covid impact fund supporting key projects in the local area. A series of one-off grants ranging from £5,000 to £25,000 will be available from the impact fund, which aims to deliver a 12-month programme of activities focused on making a real difference across the community.

The launch of the new fund significantly bolsters the funding available to local not-for-profit organisations in 2021 and will be open to applications from projects that tackle food poverty; mental health and wellbeing; debt relief and financial education. These are all challenges that have been amplified by the impact of Covid-19 and examples of the types of initiatives that could be supported include holiday hunger projects, alongside local foodbanks and social supermarkets.

The fund is now open to applications via the Cheshire Community Foundation website until 31 March 2021.

Dr. Astrid Fontaine, Member of the Board for People, Digitalisation and IT, comments:

“Supporting the local community through our Come Back Stronger programme has been a key part of Bentley’s response to Covid from the beginning. Now, as we focus on long-term recovery, it’s vital that we look again at the support in place for those that need it most.

“I’m therefore delighted to be able to boost our long-standing relationship with the Cheshire Community Foundation through this additional injection of support for local community. We look forward to hearing from the organisations locally about the support that they require.”

Zoe Sheppard, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation, commented:

“The whole team at Cheshire Community Foundation is thrilled to support our valued partner Bentley with this grants programme. The impact of Covid-19 has been devastating to so many people in the local community, and this fund will enable Crewe charities and not-for-profit organisations to support those who really need it most. Bentley’s generosity and commitment is truly inspiring.”

The Cheshire Community Foundation works with small charities and voluntary groups across Cheshire, helping to connect them to companies that can help to make a difference. Bentley and the Cheshire Community Foundation have worked together for almost nine years since the foundation was launched in 2012 with over £200,000 being donated through the Bentley Fund.