We've just agreed the final payments for my Coronavirus Poverty Emergency Fund. The total distributed is £3,414,143 to 415 small local charities (or organisations with charitable status). That's an average of over £8,000 per charity. For transparency, I want to run through how we organised, selected the charities, and where the money has gone. I hope this may also help others planning similar things in future.

We face an unprecedented challenge to our health, economy, businesses, personal finance and way of life. And many of those who normally help society – our charities – are going to face similar pressures right now too. 

In June 2012 I pledged £10m for charity when MSE joined the MSM group and that for transparency I'd periodically bash out a blog explaining what was happening with it. Over the break I realised 2015 was the last time I'd done that, so an update is overdue…