Community grants have been awarded to a host of Island projects that ensure vulnerable households do not go without necessities, such as food, fuel and warmth this winter.
So far more than £200,000 has been distributed by the Isle of Wight Council — through its connect4communities programme — to support schools, churches and local voluntary and charity groups to coordinate a range of measures that support families facing hardship.
Funding is provided to local authorities by the Department for Work and Pensions from its Household Support Fund.
One of the groups to benefit is the West Wight Timebank, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) founded six years ago by Sally Gaeta.
The organisation has more than 100 members aged 29 to 93 years old who earn time credits for every hour they do helping others, which they can then spend on something they want from other members.
Sally explained:
"We have exchanged more than 13,000 hours in this way, and have developed many schemes. We worked throughout lockdown on a box scheme, supplying hundreds of local people with food, families with clothing and toys, and wellbeing boxes for carers."
Sally successfully applied for a connect4communities community grant to support their vital work as COVID-19 restrictions were eased.
The money has made a significant difference in the community by enabling the group — working closely with the Real Junk Food Project Isle of Wight — to provide weekly food parcels to local families who are struggling at this difficult time.
Other community grant recipients include Pan Together, Breakfast in the Bay, South Wight Area Youth Partnership, Free Food Sandown, Baby Box Isle of Wight, the Footprint Trust and the Isle of Wight Community Rail Partnership among many others.
Support has included:
- food parcels, supermarket vouchers and hot meals for those struggling with increased living costs;
- winter warmer support packages for older residents in need;
- fortnightly online cookery sessions for children and their families with all the ingredients being provided;
- warm clothes and bedding for vulnerable households;
- the top up of utility key meters and distribution of energy efficient white goods and other essential items to keep people warm.
Applications for Community Grants are open until Friday 18 March. Organisations wanting to apply should go to connect4communities.
Visit the grants page on the website for a list of the latest Community Grant recipients.
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