Covid and Community food funds

Additional £500,000 earmarked for Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund

The Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund (worth £1.5 million) and Community Hub Food Plan Fund (worth £800,000) is designed to support local vulnerable people during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by helping fund local good causes.

This money is being awarded to voluntary and community groups, alongside other projects, which offer a lifeline to residents that are most in need.

These are programmes of funding where a range of partners across the county are working together to develop projects that meet local need.

To date, Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery funding totalling £1,000,000 has been made available to 47 local groups while £682,278 worth of Community Hub Food Plan funding has helped support 53 local groups.

Some of the groups to be awarded Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery funding include:

• £5,270 – Willow Community Group, Worksop – the funding will go towards an outdoor shelter at the café, based at the community gardens which connects vulnerable residents experiencing depression and a loss of confidence.

• £9,000 – Hope Nottingham CIO, Broxtowe and Gedling – the money will be used to pay for a Linking Lives co-ordinator for 20 hours a week for a befriending programme using volunteers who telephone people who are lonely and isolated.

• £10,800 – Beeston Community Resource CIO – the funding will cover staff and catering costs for six months to support the full re-opening of a community café.

• £11,550 – Relate Nottinghamshire, Broxtowe – the cash handout will enable the organisation to make 560 free calls supporting around 900 residents with issues surrounding job losses, relationship breakdown and providing help to children.

• £11,781 – Mansfield CVS, Mansfield – the funding will pay for a co-ordinator and equipment for its One Step at a Time walk and talk programme, which supports those with mild depression and people who are isolated and lonely.

• £15,600 – The Friary, West Bridgford – the Friary Advice Centre opened during the pandemic and funding will go towards running costs for the next 12 months.

• £20,000 - OASIS Community Church, Centre & Gardens, Worksop – the money will be used to cover staffing, equipment, and refreshments at the well-established trust, which supports vulnerable residents.

• £22,000 – Nottinghamshire Together Partnership, countywide – the money will be used to fund a survey of the Nottinghamshire Community & Voluntary Sector to establish the health of the sector and to develop an action plan to build strength and resilience post-pandemic.

• £29,544 – Ashfield Citizens Advice Bureau, Kirkby-in-Ashfield – the funding will fully support the recruitment, training and salary of a full-time housing support officer for 12 months.

• £31,475 – Citizens Advice Broxtowe, Beeston – the money will fully support the costs of employing a debt liaison officer for 12 months across the borough.

• £31,745 – Mansfield Citizens Advice Bureau, Mansfield – to fully support the recruitment of a full-time training and recruitment Officer.

• £98,800 – Citizens Advice (Bassetlaw, Newark & Sherwood, Nottingham - Rushcliffe and Gedling) – to fully support the recruitment and salary of three specialist financial support advisers to cover Newark & Sherwood, Bassetlaw, Rushcliffe and Gedling for 12 months.

Some of the groups who have received Community Hub Food Plan funding include:

• £6,495 – Netherfield Forum, Gedling – the funding will support an established community group in Netherfield to make and deliver an estimated 60 to 80 free hot meals per day to individuals over a period of four months throughout winter.

• £7,317 – Hucknall Cottage Gardener’s Association, Ashfield – to fund a polytunnel, beds and ground preparation to establish a community garden called the Health and Wellbeing Sanctuary.

• £8,063 – Family Action, Ashfield; Mansfield; Bassetlaw; Newark & Sherwood – the funding will buy food ingredients to supplement already subsidised provisions to create a healthy balanced family meal as part of the Take and Make programme. Funding will be used for a project worker and food costs to help 50 families in Clipstone, Mansfield, Worksop, Sutton-in-Ashfield and New Ollerton.

• £10,000 – Bassetlaw Food Bank, Worksop – the funding will be used to provide a fruit and vegetable box twice a month to 50 families in Bassetlaw in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit or ESA.

• £11,110 – Let's All Eat, Ashfield – a social eating project to enable vulnerable people to access affordable and healthy food in deprived areas of Sutton-in-Ashfield, through a series of social eating events. Funding will be used for venue hire, food, and volunteer training costs.

• £12,500 – Hope Nottingham CIO, Gedling and Broxtowe – the funding will enable two current posts to continue at the well-established network of food banks.

• £15,205 – The Social Action Hub, Rainworth – the funding will support a year of weekly sessions with around 35 free communal meals provided as well as signposting to services and support.

• £30,500 – Feeding Britain, Mansfield Woodhouse and Sutton-in-Ashfield – the money will be used to help the project which aims to improve the accessibility and affordability of nutritious food.

• £35,000 – Ashfield District Council – funding for a 12-month full-time post to take forward work to address food insecurity in line with Ashfield Health & Wellbeing Strategy across identified priority areas.