Confirmation has come through today that we have been successful in our application for funding from the Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund.
This funding will ensure that we are able to continue to support over 600 people in Leicester City and Leicestershire who are struggling to make the money add up.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected us all financially and we have all seen a reduction in our income. We are seeing a cost of living crisis with the hardest hit being, single parents, young workers, low paid workers, women and people in our communities from ethnic minorities.
We are working with people who are having to increase borrowing to cope, with credit cards, overdrafts, and payday loans being the most common sources of debt.
So many households are struggling to pay bills, rent or mortgage and are falling behind in payments putting them at risk of eviction and repossession. Many are cutting back on essential spending such as food, heating and medicine and savings are being depleted.
This grant will help us to continue to offer our support around debt, benefits and general signposting to where help and support can be found, providing targeted grants and debt relief for households in financial hardship.
It also enables us to continue to support 17 other food banks and organisations that are trying to alleviate the cost of living crisis for so many of us through emergency parcels. The logistic of operating a warehouse to ensure no food bank in the Leicestershire area runs out of food is no mean feat, with over 300 tonnes of food and essential items having to be sorted, packed and distributed.
We will continue to serve our community for as long as it takes, and our thanks go to the Government for contributing to making this possible.