Help for Families Struggling to Put Food on the Table Due to the Pandemic.

 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council and supermarket chain The Co-Op have announced initiatives

aimed at supporting individuals as families struggling to afford food did to the pandemic.

 

The Trussell Trust, the charity running most of the UK's food banks estimates that it will give out an extra six emergency food parcels every minute this winter.

 

Research carried out by the charity in partnership with Heriot Watt University earlier this year estimates that it will give out 846,000 food parcels between October and December, a 61% increase on last year.

 

It also identified that half the people who turned to the Trussell Trust for support during the first wave of the pandemic has never done so before.

 

Families have been hardest hit by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, with a YouGov poll conducted for the Food Foundation finding that two in five respondents had needed support from a food bank.

 

As economy struggles to cope with the on-going crisis the Office for Budgetary Responsibility predicts that a 13.2% rise in unemployment could see between 251,892 and 336,533 people becoming food insecure. The Trussell Trust estimate that an extra 670,000 people could be struggling to pay for food and other essentials by the end of the year.

 

This makes the initiatives announced by the council and the Co-Op even more vital.

 

Using funding provided by the department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the city council are making £19,200 available to local organizations that provide food and essential supplies to people who are in need.

 

The Co-Op are offering grants of up to £1000 to community organizations working to tackle food poverty.

 

Funding from the city council can be used by eligible organizations to purchase food and other essential supplies, to cover storage and any extra costs associated with supporting households affected by Covid -19.

 

Organisations applying for grants from the Co-Op need to meet their funding priorities, which include providing access to affordable food for families on a limited budget and reducing food waste.

 

The deadline for applications for funding from the council is 27th November, application forms can be requested by emailing communities@stoke.gov.UK or calling 01782-233265

 

Applications to the Co-Op should be made through The Community Foundation on https://staffsfoundation.org.uk/grants/ or by calling 01785-339540