Hackney Giving funded Turkish Cypriot Community Association (TCCA) through its coronavirus response round.

TCCA is the biggest Turkish-speaking charity in the country and has been supporting older people since 1976. At the start of the pandemic, TCCA started to receive calls for help from those who had been asked to self-isolate but did not have access to food and support. Within a day, the TCCA had mobilised a support network, and by the first lockdown was delivering more than 100 food parcels a week.

Within a day, the TCCA had mobilised a support network, and by the first lockdown was delivering more than 100 food parcels a week.

Staff and volunteers were recruited, given PPE, access to Covid-19 testing and training. They developed a vaccination ambassadors programme, encouraging uptake of the vaccine from within the BAME community.

As a result of their work, the Turkish Cypriot Community Association (TCCA) won the Third Sector Awards: Covid-19: Frontline Team of The Year in 2021.

The Third Sector award was given to the team working on the front line of a charity cause area that has delivered exceptional service to support beneficiaries through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sarah Watson, Development and Programme Manager for Hackney Giving, said: “Congratulations to Turkish Cypriot Community Association on winning this award. We are really pleased that funding from Hackney Giving has contributed to the support you have been able to offer communities throughout the pandemic and it is great to see that work being recognised more widely. Well done to all the team!”