We Love Manchester Emergency Fund raised £20m in two years

18 Apr 2019 News

We Love Manchester Emergency Fund set up four days after the attack on Manchester Arena in 2017, raised £21.6m in two years before closing the appeal. 

Most of the funds have already been distributed an the £1.1m remaining will go to those most significantly injured who have been left permanently disabled with a long term impact on their daily living and those who still require significant further surgery or rehabilitation.

This allocation includes £75,000 match-funded by the NHS towards six months of physiotherapy at the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance.

Edith Conn OBE, chair of trustees, We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, said: “The trustees of the fund understand that people have been affected very differently by the attack and in order to discharge their responsibilities both to the beneficiaries and to the donors have made these decisions based on ongoing physical and functional disability and clinical prognosis, following advice from medical professionals.”

£21.6m raised in two years

The emergency fund raised £21.6m and stopped taking donations in January 2019.

The largest single donation came from the One Love Manchester benefit concert hosted by Ariana Grande in June 2017, which raised £7.2m.

Conn said: “Manchester and the world responded with such kindness, generosity and solidarity in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack, which took place nearly two years ago.

“In raising more than £21.5m, those who donated have helped many, many people who suffered during that incident.

“As the second anniversary approaches, our thoughts, as always, are with all those affected by the attack.”

Breakdown of spending

A breakdown of spending from the fund says bereaved families received £7.9m and £7.5m went to those with physical injuries:

  • Bereaved - £7.875m
  • Other physically injured - £7.487m
  • Psychological injuries - £3.45m
  • Most seriously injured - £900,000
  • Psychological and other support – £862,000
  • Running costs - £444,000
  • Manchester Institute of Health and Performance (for intensive physiotherapy and rehabilitation) - £375,000

A spokesperson from Manchester City Council told Civil Society News: “[The running costs] were unavoidable, for example insurance, JustGiving fees and were more than met by the £1m government grant for this purpose, the remainder of which went to the fund, so not a single penny given by donors was spent on running costs and much of the charity work has been done pro bono.”

 

For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here

 

More on