FAMILY-owned Dorset brewer Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) has confirmed its intention to continue with its 2020 community chest funding, with some of its funding available straight away.

They say this is in order to prioritise emergency funds to voluntary organisations that have received support in the past two years and that may find themselves in financial difficulty in the coming months.

The remaining community chest funds, to be distributed later in the year, will focus on supporting voluntary and charity organisations through their recovery phase,l they add.

Mark Woodhouse, Hall & Woodhouse family director, said: “In these strange times we feel that it is very important to try to help many of the voluntary organisations that we have supported in the past, to survive and continue their great work in our communities.”

H&W has also announced it will be extending its deadline for applications both for grant funding from the community chest and to become a pub charity partner. Local charities and community groups now have until Thursday, April 30 to submit their applications.

Visit www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk/community-chest for further information on the initiative.