A fund established to help voluntary groups across the county deal with effects of the pandemic has hit £850,000.

Wiltshire Community Foundation launched the Coronavirus Response Fund back in March – just before the country went into lockdown.

Tech expert Paul Harding has offered his support to Swindon’s leading homeless charity – Swindon Night Shelter – by developing an online, app-based information platform and donation service.

Using his new tech platform Zapp Active, which is in development as an interactive community portal, Swindon Night Shelter is one of the first charities to be featured.

The team behind Swindon Night Shelter and its five projects (The Haven, The Hub, The Gates, The Hive and Night Shelter) to support the town’s homeless are appealing for both corporate sponsors and volunteers as the winter draws in.