The Lake District Calvert Trust has been driven to the verge of permanent closure by the COVID-19 pandemic and has launched an appeal to help save it.
The Emergency Bounce Back Appeal aims to save the much-loved charity, which has been left with a £1 million gap in its income.
Based on current projections, the trust’s own contingency funds will run out by March, 2021, and its survival now hangs in the balance.
In recent weeks, the charity has furloughed the vast majority of its staff and closed its doors until the new year.
The Lake District Calvert Trust has been supporting people with disabilities from its specialist Calvert Lakes residential centre at Bassenthwaite and accessible riding centre at the Old Windebrowe stables on the outskirts of Keswick for almost 45 years.
Participants enjoy the benefits of its unique programmes and facilities in a safe and accessible, yet challenging environment.
Having delivered life-changing programmes for thousands of disabled children and adults over the years, the trust is now fighting for its future, having been hit by a perfect storm of coronavirus-related restrictions.
Calvert Lakes relies heavily on special school educational visits as one of its main sources of income. However, the lockdown and blanket ban on schools taking residential trips has wiped out visitor numbers.
While the trust responded with an internal restructuring programme and diversifying into new areas such as B&B accommodation, it still experienced a reduction of more than £1 million in income.
Community facilities such as its riding centre and hydrotherapy pool are now closed for the foreseeable future.
In addition, the trust’s new groundbreaking brain injury rehabilitation centre called Calvert Reconnections, based at the riding centre, has had its opening pushed back to spring 2021, further reducing much-needed revenue and adding to the pressures on the charity.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has left a huge, £1 million gap in our income,” said Giles Mounsey-Heysham, chairman of the trustees. “To survive the winter and bounce back in spring 2021, we have to act now to seek external support.
“COVID-19 has had a deep impact on the trust and a number of associated factors have conspired to make it a perfect storm. At Calvert Lakes, we have lost over two-thirds of our visitors and income.
“Having now closed our doors due to the second lockdown, that position will only worsen and our contingency funds will be exhausted by March 2021, despite really careful financial management.”
Despite trustees and staff working hard to introduce alternative revenue streams and cut costs wherever possible, Mr Mounsey-Heysham said it had proved impossible for the trust to weather the economic storm on its own and the charity is “now staring down the barrel”.
He said: “Over the years we have received very generous support from so many funders. We need and appreciate their support now more than ever. Our Emergency Bounce Back Appeal is about the very future of the trust.
“Once this pandemic is over, the ‘Calvert experience’ will be needed more than ever, not only by our current beneficiaries but also the many people affected by COVID-19 and the impact it has had on everyone’s lives, health and wellbeing.
“We have been here for nearly 45 years and we desperately want to continue supporting people with disabilities to benefit from the incredible accessible adventure the trust has pioneered. Please help Lake District Calvert Trust bounce back.”
