Charities have spoken about the desperate need to start fundraising again after a tough year of coronavirus lockdowns.

The call comes as over 120 worthy causes have put their names forward to get a share of £20,000 through this paper's Cash For Charities campaign.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: A Cash For Charities coupon which are available in the Eastern Daily Press,, Norwich Evening News and their sister weekly titles until July 3.A Cash For Charities coupon which are available in the Eastern Daily Press,, Norwich Evening News and their sister weekly titles until July 3. (Image: Archant 2021)

Readers of the EDP, Norwich Evening News and sister weekly titles can collect coupons on behalf of charities which have applied for the fund until July 3 each day, apart from in Saturday's EDP.

The tokens will be collected, counted up, and the money will be shared proportionately to how many have been used for each of the different charities.

Asperger East Anglia, which supports children and adults with Asperger's and autism, in Norfolk and Suffolk, is one of the charities vying for the money.

Thecla Fellas, chief executive officer of the Norwich-based organisation, said: "We have to recuperate the self-generated funds which we lost from the closure of our shops and workshops. It has been a scary year."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Thecla Fellas, chief executive officer of Asperger East Anglia.Thecla Fellas, chief executive officer of Asperger East Anglia. (Image: Archant)

The charity has two shops in Beccles and one at the Charing Cross Centre on St John Maddermarket, Norwich, and before the lockdowns ran woodwork and electrical workshop sessions.

Ms Fellas said the charity, which runs online support sessions, made £85,000 through online sales of charity shop items and received an emergency National Lottery grant of nearly £41,000 last year.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: People supported by Asperger East Anglia charity celebrating a National Lotter grant awarded in 2020.People supported by Asperger East Anglia charity celebrating a National Lotter grant awarded in 2020. (Image: Asperger East Anglia)

But that had to be used in six months and the charity will run out of its £72,000 from two sources this year.

"Every bit of money would be fantastic because we could buy something to make the charity run better or put on outside activities to benefit our service users," Ms Fellas added.

Dereham Cancer Care, which supports children and adults with cancer as well as their loved ones, hopes the fund will enhance its centre off Cowper Road.

Zoe Flint, charity co-ordinator, wants the building to offer more complementary therapies as well open it in the evenings and weekends.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Dereham Cancer Care bullding. Photo: Denise BradleyDereham Cancer Care bullding. Photo: Denise Bradley (Image: Archant)

But extra money is needed for running costs at the base which is open every Tuesday and Thursday by appointment.

Miss Flint said: "I want to bring it up to the 21st century and be accessible. Extra funds will enable us to expand."

She also hoped the Cash For Charities fund would raise awareness of good causes.

Email charities@archant.co.uk for more information.

What charities have signed up?

1st Attleborough (St Mary's) Scout Group

1st Bungay (School) Sea Scout Group

1st Caister Scout Group

1st Hoveton & Wroxham Scout Group

1st Mattishall Scout Group

1st Snettisham Scout Group

1st Southwold and Reydon Scout Group

1st Wymondham Scout Group

2nd Wells Brownies

469 Lowestoft Air Cadets

Age UK Norfolk

All Saints' Church, Threxton

Allsorts support services CIC, Lowestoft

Asperger East Anglia

Astro Brain Tumour Fund, Hunstanton

Aylsham Older People's Association

Bact Community Transport. Bungay

Beccles Men's Shed

Beccles Lido Limited

Big C

Caister Youth and Community Centre, Caister-on-Sea

Cancer Community Chest, Norwich

Carers Matter Norfolk, Young Carers & Families

Caring Friends for Cancer Mid Norfolk

Charles Burrell Centre, Thetford

City of Norwich Aviation Museum

City WI Norwich

Company of Four, Norwich

Dereham Cancer Care

Dereham Men's Shed

Dereham Theatre Company

Ditchingham Men's Shed

DPA Performing Arts Academy, Gorleston

East Anglian Air Ambulance

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices

East of England Apples & Orchards Project, Fakenham

Edith Cavell Day Centre, Swardeston

FEED Waveney Community, Lowestoft

First Dereham Scout Group

First Focus, Fakenham

Fresh Start Future Enterprises Ltd, Norwich

Friend in Deed, Cawston

Friends of Clinks Care Farm, Toft Monks

Get Me Out The Four Walls, Norwich

Great Ryburgh Playing Field

Great Yarmouth Gateway Club

Guide Dogs For The Blind - King's Lynn branch

Hanworth with Gunton Memorial Hall

Harleston and District Young Farmers

Headway Norfolk and Waveney

Hear for Norfolk (Norfolk Deaf Association)

Hepworth Recreation Ground, near Diss

Hethersett Jubilee Youth Club

Home-Start Suffolk

Home-Start Norfolk

How Hill Trust

Ingham Village Hall

Keeping Abreast, Norwich

Little Snoring Playgroup

Louise Hamilton Trust, Potter Heigham

Lowestoft Museum

MenTalkHealth, Thorpe St Andrew

Motor Neurone Disease Association - Kings Lynn group

N&N Hospitals Charity

Nansa (Norfolk and Norwich SEND Association)

Narborough and Narford Community Centre

Nelson's Journey

Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS)

Norfolk Citizens Advice

Norfolk Community Law Service

Norfolk Family Carers

Norfolk Federation of WIs

Norfolk SEN Network

Norfolk, Norwich and Waveney Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association

North Lynn Methodist Church

North Walsham Play

North Wootton Village Hall

Norwich & District Diabetes Youth Group

Norwich Foodbank

Norwich Marchesi Rotary Benevolent Account

Norwich Samaritans

Oak Grove Community Church, Norwich

Oulton Broad Water Sports Centre

Pakefield Singers

People For Animals Care Trust, Woodrising

People's Foundation of South Norfolk and Broadland

Priscilla Bacon Hospice

River Waveney Trust, Harleston

Rotary Club of Bungay

Rotary Club of Downham Market Trust Fund

RSPCA East Norfolk

Runhall Recreation Ground

Rural Coffee Caravan, Harleston

SENsational Families, Lyng

Silver Road Community Centre, Norwich

Sing Your Heart Out, Norfolk

Southwold Sailors Reading Room

Sprowston Parochial Church Council

St Martins, Norwich

St Mary's Church, Tittleshall

St. John Ambulance

Still Good Food, Bury St Edmunds

Star Throwers CIO, Wymondham

Sue Lambert Trust, Norwich

Surlingham Church & Poor Charity

Swainsthorpe Community Charity Trust

Swan Youth Project, Downham Market

The 389th Bomb Group Memorial Exhibition Hethel

The BUILD Charity, Norwich

The Charing Cross Centre, Norwich

The Clare School, Norwich

The Friends of Kelling Hospital

The Hamlet Charity, Norwich

The Museum of the Broads, Stalham

The Pastures

Thetford & District Dementia Support Group

Third Thorpe Rainbows, Thorpe St Andrew

Three Rivers Talking Newspaper, Bungay

Waveney Enterprises Craft Workshop, Beccles

West Norwich Lions

Whitwell Hall Country Centre Ltd

William Cowper Preschool Nursery, Dereham

Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper

YMCA Norfolk