Aberdeen Covid-19 appeal receives generous donations
08 May 2020
In just one week since the official launch of the Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust Emergency Aberdeen Covid-19 appeal it has received £73,145 in donations to date (Friday 08 May).
These donations include an anonymous donation of £10,000 from a local businessman and £10,000 from local couple Jim and Angie Geddie.
The hardship fund is also set to receive £100,000 from the Common Good fund, Aberdeen City Council announced on Wednesday 06 May.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett said: “It has been truly heart-warming to watch the donations come into the hardship fund this week. On behalf of the Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust, I would like to thank everyone who has donated so far. From the smallest to the largest donation, every single penny will be used to help those in need of urgent support and assistance in Aberdeen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These are challenging times for us all, but ordinary people are doing extraordinary things to help each other, and I would like to appeal again to everyone who can to donate to this worthy cause. Together we can get through this.”
Mervyn Donald, Deacon Convenor, The Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received this very generous donation from Mr & Mrs Geddie. It is brilliant to see the people of Aberdeen standing together during this crisis. We hope we can continue to raise funds for this very worthy cause and to help those suffering during this time.”
Jim Geddie said: “We decided to donate when we saw the appeal in the paper. I think if people have the good fortune to be able to help out, it's a good local charity and it's a good cause.”
The emergency COVID-19 Hardship Fund was launched on (Friday 01 May) by The Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust in Aberdeen in partnership with The Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council.
Its aim is to raise much-needed cash for Aberdeen-based registered charities to help individuals, families and communities across the city experiencing severe financial hardship as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It followed a request to the Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett, from The Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen and a local businessperson, for the Charitable Trust, to be used as a vehicle to create a hardship fund for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A special crowdfunding page was created on www.aberdeencovid19.org to allow anyone anywhere to donate to this worthy cause.
Any organisation or individual that would like to discuss making a sizable donation can email lordprovost@aberdeencity.gov.uk marking it for the attention of Garry Watson, Clerk to The Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust.
100% of all donations received will go directly to helping those experiencing genuine hardship in Aberdeen due to COVID-19.
The closing date for the first round of applications was yesterday (Thursday 07 May) with submissions received from 40 charities. Those charities will be notified of the outcome of their applications by Friday 15 May.
The second round of applications opens today (Friday 08 May) and charities yet to apply are being urged to do so. To apply to the Hardship Fund, registered charities must complete an application form hosted on www.aberdeencovid19.org
The Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust is a fund independent of the city council, set up to support registered Scottish charities operating within the City of Aberdeen.
The Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen was founded in 1587 by the coming together of the seven craft trades consisting of Hammermen, Bakers, Wrights & Coopers, Tailors, Shoemakers, Weavers, and Fleshers. Today, based in the Trinity Hall Building in Holburn Street, their mission is a historically grounded commitment to skills, people development and education, the care and wellbeing of its members and their dependents, and raise and disburse funds for the advancement of young persons living in the Aberdeen community. They also maintain and provide access to the historical artefacts of the trade crafts of Aberdeen. The Trades Widows’ Fund Charity is their primary charitable entity.