Good causes woorkng in Godalming have received government cash to help them continue their good work during the pandemic.

Home-Start Waverley, The Meath and Citizens Advice Waverley are the three good causes that have been given government funding.

The money has come from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, which was launched in May to direct cash to organisations that provide key services and support vulnerable people.

More than 8,000 small and medium charities across England were awarded a share of £200 million to help them continue their work with vulnerable people during the pandemic.

Distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the money is part of the Government's £750 million support package for charities announced earlier this year.

Dawn Murphy, scheme manager at Home-Start Waverley, said the £18,096 the charity had received had been very welcome.

"It was an absolute lifeline, without it we wouldn't have been able to do what we have done over the last nine months," she said.

"A lot of our funding that we receive is very locally based and a lot of the funding from our very generous partners has been redirected.

"This has just kept us being able to support our families." The charity has had to close its support centres during the second lockdown, but Dawn says it is waiting to hear from the government on whether it can reopen once a decision is made on lifting restrictions on December 2nd. "As soon as we possibly can we are very much looking forward to reopening our family support group at Loseley Family Centre," she added. A spokesperson from The Meath Epilepsy Charity told Nub News: "Funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, has helped us to cover the significant costs of reintegrating our services and making them Covid compliant after lockdown. "The work involved with adapting our services for the people we support has been huge and the financial implications have been just as great. Thanks to the generous funding awarded from The National Lottery Coronavirus Community Support Fund we were able to continue the services on offer for the people we support at our dedicated Skills Centre and to open our High Street social enterprise, Changing Perceptions, with confidence. "Their generous funding has meant that the people we support have been able to safely access our services with minimal disruption." Announcing the cash handouts, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "Charities are there when we need them the most, and this emergency funding has kept their doors open during the biggest crisis for a generation. "Our £200 million Coronavirus Community Support Fund has reached thousands of worthy causes in communities across the country, ensuring they can be there for millions of vulnerable people and families." Dawn Austwick, CEO at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: "Communities and charities across the country have responded magnificently to the Covid crisis and those who have benefited from the CCSF funding that we have distributed encapsulate the generosity, spirit and expert knowledge that we have all seen in our local neighbourhoods. "We will continue to support communities, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players to support as much of this vital work going forward as we can."