My Google calendar is a daily reminder of what should have been. It is like I am living a parallel life somewhere. I idle at my desk with another cup of coffee and ‘ping’ – a reminder that the Bristol 10k fun run is tomorrow. My wife and I sit down for night 56 of ‘Can we f ind something to watch on Netflix?’ when ‘ping’ – my friend Becky’s wedding reception starts in 10 minutes – (hopefully my parallel self has already got dressed); ‘ping’ it is the church quiz and curry night.
All of us have seen our social lives disappear during the coronavirus crisis. However, now we are into month three of the lockdown, I am finding that my diary is filling up with a very unwelcome series of meetings: urgent Zoom calls to discuss the f financial emergency of various charities and organisations I am part of.
Sadly the two seem to be linked.
Charity funds in lockdown
The cancelled events in my diary (and yours) are a microcosm of what is happening across the UK. Sporting events raise money for charity – the London marathon alone raised £66 million last year. Cancelled. Weddings, baptisms, even funerals, see grateful attendees donate generously. Postponed, at best. Social events doubling as fundraisers often mean the difference between small surplus and a financial loss for many churches. High streets are closed, so the vital funds charities raise from their shops have all but disappeared.
