The independent charity which led the fundraising drive following the Grenfell disaster has explained how it has spent the money and its plans for future spending.

A total of £6.7 million was raised for the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation’s Grenfell Tower Fund, with the charity distributing £5.098m in total to date.

It is now embarking on a second phase, which will see it spend the remaining £1.602m on helping rebuild the community.

The fund was set up to provide help for those who lived in Grenfell Tower, others directly impacted by the tragedy and the local community.

The charity has broken down the relief effort into two phases.

Phase one has seen the Foundation, with the support of the community, help survivors, the bereaved and the hospitalised with grants totalling £4.926m.

This emergency relief will help those worse affected by the fire at the beginning of their long journey to rebuild their lives.

Money spent includes:

  • £3.605m distributed by Rugby Portobello Trust to survivors
  • £1.21m distributed by London Emergencies Trust to the bereaved and hospitalised
  • £110,000 distributed by five local organisations to help people with immediate needs

An additional £172,000 has been paid to local organisations.

Any further donations received to the K&C Foundation’s Grenfell Tower Fund, which are specifically intended for the bereaved or survivors, will be paid to them in full through further grants to Rugby Portobello Trust and the London Emergencies Trust.

Phase two will look at spending the remaining £1.602m on long-term issues.

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K&C Foundation say: "There is no short-term fix for what happened here on 14 June 2017 and there’s now a huge task ahead to rebuild.

"As a local charity, we are committed to be part of this task and to stand by the people affected by this tragedy and support them for the long-term.

"To help inform this phase, we are speaking with and listening to local people, the voluntary sector, community groups, faith groups and schools across North Kensington so that we are in tune with what the current and evolving needs are.

"It's vital to us that this community is listened to and that its voices are central to any solutions.

"What’s most important is that the money given to us by generous donors is used to best possible effect to improve the lives of the affected community.

"We will therefore invest the remaining funds into initiatives which help to achieve this over the next two-three years with community buy-in and support. We will post regular updates on our website."

Kensington Aldridge Academy, with Grenfell Tower in the background

Paying tributes to the people they are helping, the charity said: "It's a privilege for us to help the people affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy and we have been struck by the dignity of those at the centre of this incident whose lives have been so drastically impacted.

"We have also been touched by the humanity and quiet respect displayed by so many on the ground, which includes the local voluntary sector, community organisations, faith groups and volunteers."

Money raised has come from many sources, including bucket collections at stations, theatre nights, dance galas, raffles and bake sales.

Donations have been received from large corporate companies, small businesses, schools, prisons, churches, hotels and restaurants, and the Foundation is "grateful for every penny and to everyone who has responded".

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K&C Foundation say 100% of the money donated for its Grenfell Tower Fund is being used for the aims of the fund.

None of the money it has received is being used for operating costs, which it is looking to raise separately.