We are pleased to announce that with the financial help of Health and Hardship Fund administered by Worcester City Council, Yellow Scarf CIO has created a Covid-19 Community Relief Fund aimed at supporting members of the BME and migrant communities residing in Worcester.

By providing cash grants of £10-100* we would like to help bring relief to those who need it the most. As such, those eligible and requiring support will be able to apply for two types of grants:

> Mini Grants - up to £20 per person; these may be awarded max 2 times, providing that a relevant justification is made in the application form.

> Large Grants - over £40; one-off contributions towards expenses identified by those struggling financially (regardless of whether they are single, couples or form bigger family units).  

We recognise that everyone has their own individual needs and, hence, we tried to make the fund as flexible as possible. Before the grants are awarded, though, the managing team will ensure that all other avenues of providing support have been explored beforehand.

To qualify for the financial support the applicant (individual or household) needs to represent any of the following:

- Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background
- Migrant (regardless of the country of origin) settled in Worcester.

To determine whether the applicant fits the criteria of the fund, answers to the relevant qualifying questions around their ethnicity and origin need to be provided.

Request for funding (applications submitted via an online form, as per description in the application) will need to be supported by 1 reference (for Mini Grants up to £40) or 2 references (for Large Grants over £40). This is to ensure that the money goes to those in genuine need.

Referees will need to represent trusted professions (preferably support workers, engagement officers, teachers/educators, faith leaders, NHS staff, etc.) and cannot be related to the applicant.

Next, the applications will be reviewed by a 3-person panel consisting of the trustees of Yellow Scarf and, where possible, representatives of other minority organisations (e.g. LikeU or European Connections Forum). When undergoing the assessment, the panel will make contact with at least one of the referees to establish the true nature of the application as well as its urgency.

Once successful, the grant will either be transferred to the applicant, support organisation or paid out in cash. The payment will be dictated by the nature of the request itself e.g. money for a top-up to the rent will be paid to the applicant directly, while grant for a new ID may be handed over to an agency supporting the client in obtaining the document. Relevant paperwork shall be signed ahead of the grants being paid out.  

If the request for funding can be met in other ways e.g. food parcel, utility bill top-up, Yellow Scarf team will first explore the support via those avenues.