As part of the Small Grants Programme, food and welfare providers in Wirral can now apply for additional funding to help support the borough’s most vulnerable.
Groups can apply for a grant worth up to £20,000 to help local people who are struggling with the rising cost of living. In total, £800,000 has been made available through the scheme.
News of the initiative comes as part of Wirral’s £5.37m package of support from the government’s Household Support Fund.
Paula Basnett, leader of Wirral Council, said: ‘I’m really pleased we can offer this funding to support the brilliant work of our community, voluntary and faith groups. They’re out there every day, helping families and individuals who are finding things tough, and these small grants will give them a little extra help to carry on making a big difference.’
Organisations looking to apply for a grant should get in contact with Wirral CVS – the local not-for-profit volunteering service. More information can be accessed here.
Successful applications will have until 31st March 2026 to deliver the change they set out to and spend all the grant funding they receive.
‘Wirral Council understands the relationship that voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations have with the communities they work with, and the Household Support Fund Small Grants Programme is yet another example of how they enable and promote community power,’ Gareth Prytherch, chief executive of Wirral CVS, added.
A report from Wirral Council shows this support couldn’t have come at a better time. During 2021/22 19% of children in Wirral were living in poverty.
What’s more, separate findings from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found there were around 62,835 people living in poverty in private households in Wirral as of March 2021 – 16% of whom had a cardiovascular or respiratory condition.
Image via Shutterstock
In related news:
Growth, environment and democracy: can the government have it all?
Experts predict: will the Bank of England cut interest rates tomorrow?
Leave a Reply