Today, Wednesday 26 March 2025, marks five years since the nation went into lockdown. It was also the same week we launched our Covid-19 Urgent Appeal.
Thanks to the generosity of thousands of people, over £162 million was raised. As almost two in three (64%) UK adults1 feel the Covid-19 pandemic changed the NHS forever, this money has enabled us to distribute funds to every NHS trust and health board charity to tackle problems created or worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
As well as addressing urgent and immediate healthcare needs, this has included providing over a million NHS staff – two thirds of the workforce – with counselling, rest areas and other support, and helping more than 600,000 patients access better care.
The money raised by the appeal has also enabled us to provide training and equipment for thousands of life-saving community first responder volunteers, and fund projects in the community to help people stay well and reduce pressure on the NHS.
We launched the Covid-19 Urgent Appeal to support hospital staff and volunteers, patients, and the local community. Data reported by NHS charities to date indicates thousands of projects have been created around the UK. This includes a befriending service in Nottinghamshire, a project to tackle healthcare inequalities in South and West Wales, and a long-Covid initiative helping patients and healthcare professionals in Scotland.
In England
One project funded was the South Nottinghamshire Befriending Service, which connects volunteer befrienders with people reporting significant loneliness, complex health and social care needs, or those with significant mental and physical health problems.
Participants reported feeling less lonely, isolated or excluded; more quality, positive relationships; and improved health, wellbeing and confidence, among other outcomes. 92% of befrienders felt the intervention had a major impact and significantly reduced their clients’ feelings of isolation and loneliness, and 100% said they felt more involved in meaningful activity. 100% of clients reported that they have an increased awareness of the support available to them.
‘Mr. M’, 84, was referred to the befriending service due to his limited mobility, which left him feeling isolated. This had a profound impact on his mental and physical health, and he frequently phoned his GP, sometimes up to six times a day. Mr. M was matched with a volunteer, ‘Mr. R’ for weekly face-to-face visits, which included short walks and much-needed companionship. In just a few months, Mr. M reported significant improvements to his mental and physical health.
Mr M. withdrew from the volunteering service after seeing an improvement in his mental and physical health, wanting to make sure Mr R. was available to help others in need. However, twelve months after the initial intervention, Mr. M had the insight to recognise early warning signs of his mental health deteriorating and re-referred himself to the befriending service. He specifically inquired about Mr. R, who was more than happy to resume visits, given the strong and positive relationship they had built.
Nigel Gregory, CEO of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said:
“Thanks to funding from NHS Charities Together, we were able to expand a befriending service for people who were left feeling isolated and lonely following Covid-19 restrictions, like Mr M. The South Nottinghamshire Befriending Service offered support for people living alone, especially those who were clinically vulnerable and/or living with long-term health conditions or disabilities.”
In Wales
Urgent Appeal funding helped support an outreach project in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Funded through Hywel Dda Health Charities, the project aimed to respond to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on racially minoritised groups, and reached more than 10,000 people through initiatives such as Wellbeing Walks, which promote community cohesion, encourage exercise, and provide an opportunity to share health messages. The programme increased uptake of the Covid-19 vaccination, improved access to healthcare services and communication support, and increased visibility of service providers in the community.
Sandra Mitchell, Community Development Outreach Team Manager at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said:
“The Covid-19 Urgent Appeal funding has had a positive and continuing impact on the wellbeing of diverse communities and vulnerable groups across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
“The project provided opportunities to engage with communities and bring people together to talk about their health and wellbeing, and to learn more about the support local NHS services can provide.”
In Scotland
One of hundreds of projects funded locally by the appeal supported people in Lothian living with Covid-19 and helped NHS professionals learn more about long Covid. Joint funding facilitated a collaboration between NHS Lothian, charity Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and app developer Pogo Studio to build a long Covid self-assessment digital platform to help patients self-manage their recovery. The ‘MyTailoredTalks’ platform provides people who have had the virus with health information and advice, and content can be personalised and curated by clinicians, changing as the patient’s journey progresses.
Jane Ferguson, Director of NHS Lothian Charity, said:
“We were delighted to have been able to provide initial joint funding for ‘MyTailoredTalks’ thanks to generous donations to our Covid-19 appeal and grants from NHS Charities Together. It was a great example of partners coming together from across the sector to put in place innovative solutions to support our communities who were dealing with the effects of Long Covid.”
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, said:
“Despite the whole nation struggling to deal with the impact of the pandemic – whether that was losing loved ones, adjusting to new ways of working or dealing with the psychological impact of increased restrictions to freedom, it was heartening to see such huge generosity from so many people, who collectively raised over £160 million. Five years on, the impact of that funding is still making a difference to patients, communities and NHS staff across the UK.
“Projects have done everything from creating community-based opportunities to deal with the mental health crisis, and addressing issues related to health inequalities, to providing professional support to help NHS staff cope better with the demands of their roles. We are so grateful to every single person who contributed, and continue to strive for a future with a thriving NHS and the best possible healthcare for everyone.”
1. NHS Charities Together commissioned YouGov to poll 2,415 UK adults. Fieldwork was carried out online between 24-25 February 2025. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
