The Government named the first charities to benefit from the so-called ‘Tampon Tax’ in Budget 2016, and included social investment among over £115m in support to combat homelessness.
Budget documents also did not mention removing mandatory business rates relief for charities, amid announcements of doubling relief for small businesses.
Chancellor George Osborne committed £12m in funding offsetting VAT paid on women’s sanitary products, including via grant-making partnerships to disburse funding to a range of grassroots women’s organisations.
Comic Relief is to create a funding partnership of £4m, including £1m of match funding, to drive awareness of women’s issues and fund a variety of partners. Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls will receive £2.2m for local grassroots organisations.
Other funding includes £600,000 to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to launch the ‘Eradicate Cervical Cancer’ campaign, and £500,000 for Pause to expand nationwide its current programme enabling women to make choices about their future.
Women’s Fund for Scotland has been allocated £600,000 to run a funding programme targeting small grassroots women’s organisations across Scotland. Action for Children Swansea SAIL project receives £497,000 to provide advocacy and emotional support to young mothers and pregnant women going through care proceedings.
On homelessness, Budget documents confirmed funding for the Rough Sleeping Social Impact Bond would be doubled to £10m to drive innovation in tackling entrenched rough sleeping.
The Government committed to invest £10m over two years in initiatives to support and scale-up innovative ways to prevent and reduce rough sleeping, particularly in London. This plan builds on the No Second Night Out initiative which has seen London boroughs, government departments, the voluntary sector, and others work together to tackle rough sleeping in the capital.
Low-cost second stage accommodation will see investment of £100m.
Osborne said the "enormously successful" Cathedral Repairs Fund would be extended with an extra £20m.
Fines levied on banks for interest rate rigging will be distributed widely, in particular among military service charities and causes.
Funds include £5m to establish a centre of research in the fight against mesothelioma, and £4.5m to help establish a helicopter emergency medical service in Northern Ireland.
University Hospital Southampton Charity has been allocated £2m in matched funding to help build a dedicated paediatric emergency and trauma department, and Central Manchester University Hospitals Charity will receive £1.1m to build a dedicated helicopter landing pad to reduce transfer times for critical care patients.
Rescue Global will be allocated £2.5m to provide rapid global disaster response support utilising former service personnel, while Samaritans receives £3.5m to provide first response help and bespoke support services to current service personnel, veterans, and their families.
Just over £1.8m has been set aside to fund NSPCC service centres in Tidworth and Catterick Garrison Towns, to provide support with the specific challenges of service life.
Royal British Legion Industries has been allocated £2.7m to support the delivery of specialist nursing care to veterans.
Access the Chancellor's speech here, and Budget documents here.
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