A recent survey by the National Emergencies Trust (NET) has indicated that the number of people in the UK who’ll be forced to seek help from a charity in the next twelve months will likely be over seven million.

The survey has also indicated that for many of that number it will be the first time they’ll have had to do so, with the coronavirus pandemic being the main reason.

The research was commissioned by the National Emergencies Trust to see how badly Britain’s would be affected by COVID, with the survey highlighting the fact that one in eight of the people they contacted would require help towards the end of 2020 and into 2021, with particular fears focussing around the end of the furlough scheme and redundancies resulting from it.

The poll, taken during August by polling company Opinium, asked 2,000 UK adults a series of questions which revealed that 61% would likely need charitable aid for the first time in their lives.

The National Emergencies Trust commented to say that whilst many NonProfits were struggling themselves due to a lack of donations during the pandemic, the next twelve months would see enormous pressure on the not-for-profit sector to help out as the economic fallout of COVID hit home.

The survey revealed the most common reasons people would need help from the Third Sector were…

• Help with housing/living arrangements/homelessness
• Financial struggles/difficulties
• Redundancy
• Re-training to help find new work

Perhaps most worryingly, one in four of the people who took the survey thought they would need help just to feed themselves and their family due to changes in their employment status/financial circumstances.

Since launching its Coronavirus Appeal in March, the National Emergencies Trust has raised £90m to help, already donating over £85m of that to various charities and organisations within the sector.