HM Treasury has done an incredible job to rescue the formal economy: most businesses, workers & self-employed have had a lifeline. The biggest gap now - and it stretches right along the front line of all our neighbourhoods - is the social economy: charities & community groups. 1/

These may be invisible to most of us most of the time but they are crucial in the fight against coronavirus - they provide the infrastructure of voluntary effort to support isolating households, especially the vulnerable and 'hard to reach'. 2/

They will pick up the pieces, the things made worse by this pandemic - the mental health, the domestic violence, the child abuse, the loneliness, the family breakdown, the roughsleeping, the learning difficulties, the addiction, not to mention the dying & the bereaved. 3/

As a society we are discovering the value of neighbourliness and compassion. Charities knew it already and were doing it and are doing it. They can't furlough their staff - they're needed more than ever. And so far they've had nothing from government. 4/

Partly this is because the formal economy came first, and partly because it's really complicated - I know ministers are working on this. But I fear it's also partly because the system just doesn't see the point of civil society, and don't think it's Govt's job to prop it up. 5/

Well, a month ago they didn't think Govt should prop up business. In normal times I agree on both. But just like businesses, charities can't weather this storm just with private income - in their case, voluntary donations and fundraising. That income is down and demand is up. 6/

So right now they need Govt. We need a fund, in the low £billions, to distribute (I suggest via Community Foundations, county-based trusts with robust governance) to small charities which are working with vulnerable people in our communities; and support for national orgs too. 7/

Through this crisis, and when it is over, we need a strong civil society. I applaud everything the Govt has done so far - heroic speed and resolve to meet the health and economic crises. We may soon have a social crisis too and we need a social infrastructure to cope. Ends/