Two faith charities will be partnering with local councils to help correct misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine in the communities they serve. The UK Government announced on Monday that Near Neighbours will receive £1 million and Strengthening Faith Institutions will be awarded £1.15 million.  It’s part of a wider government scheme called “Community Champions" which will make £23 million available to councils in England to help dispel myths about Covid-19 and about the coronavirus vaccine, and boost take-up of the jab. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was being targeted at areas with plans to reach out to groups such as older people, disabled people, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds who are more likely to suffer long-term impacts and poor outcomes from the virus. Senior NHS figures have previously expressed concern that people in some black and Asian communities are reluctant to take up the vaccine - either for religious reasons or past concerns about "unethical" experiments carried out in the last century. Professor Francis Davis, a Christian professor of religion and public policy at Birmingham University and non-exec director for an NHS Trust, applauded the idea.