The Covid-19 Equine Emergency Fund has announced the award of the first seven grants totalling £20,350.

The Covid-19 fund was established by Petplan Charitable Trust and the National Equine Welfare Council with the support of World Horse Welfare to provide assistance to small charities during the pandemic,

The Fund’s committee stressed the need to provide immediate help to those organisations caring for equines whose cashflow had been most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The committee also recognised that there is often less financial pressure on organisations over the summer months and that the full financial impact of the pandemic is yet to be felt. This could also be magnified by the uncertainty surrounding how soon volunteer support and income from events will resume. Hence, there are two further scheduled rounds closing on Friday 24th July and Friday 16th October, with the possibility of extending a further funding round in December.

Any charity wishing to apply can find the criteria and application form here

David Simpson of the Petplan Charitable Trust said, “We received a number of applications where charities were holding everything together now, but there was obviously great uncertainty as to how long their funds would last. It was good to be able to offer emergency support to those organisations that most need it now and to be in a position to provide further funding to eligible organisations who may need help in the coming months.”