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More households in Nottinghamshire are set to benefit from a community-boosting scheme which forms part of an ongoing drive to improve residents’ access to affordable and healthy food.

Nottinghamshire County Council is to invest £210,000 to support food redistribution schemes in the community and voluntary sector in the spring of 2023.

Grant funding will be available to groups and organisations to help them establish schemes which will ensure a greater number of residents, who maybe struggling with cost-of-living pressures, can access good quality food at affordable prices.

The move reaffirms the County Council’s commitment to supporting vulnerable residents and easing the financial worries for families facing the pressures of rising household bills.

A report presented to Cabinet on Thursday, 15 December outlines how funding will be made available for groups and organisations from the voluntary and community sector with the skills and capacity to run food redistribution schemes – for families and residents who need them the most.

If the proposals are approved, the County Council will work with partners to promote grant funding opportunities to the voluntary and community sector to allow for the schemes to be established.

Councillor Matt Barney, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said the investment reaffirms the County Council’s commitment to supporting families who are financially vulnerable.

He said: “We are acutely aware of the situation facing families and individuals who are struggling with the challenges of cost of living and, by investing further in food distribution schemes, we will be providing residents with this support to access affordable and healthy food.

“This grant will enable even more people to receive extra support in an appropriate environment and reaffirms once again Nottinghamshire County Council’s ongoing commitment to reducing health inequalities and being there for our residents when they need our help the most.  

“The voluntary and community sector is better placed to deliver these schemes and I am looking forward to working with our partners to make sure appropriate support is available.”

The planned £210,000 funding pot will be available via the County Council’s Local Community Fund (LCF), a scheme which was launched in the autumn of 2021 and gives organisations an opportunity to apply for grants to deliver support to boost health and wellbeing in their local area.

The proposed changes to the food redistribution schemes form part of a wider package of support the County Council continues to deliver to help residents with cost-of-living challenges.

These include two new LCF-funded schemes worth £450,000 which have been launched today (Wednesday 7 December) to enable voluntary organisations and community groups to apply for funding to support those struggling to buy nutritious food to help improve health and well-being, while the second grant is aimed at groups who need a contribution towards their own rising energy bills.

For more about the financial support the council is currently providing, please visit our dedicated cost of living support page which is packed with information and advice for residents and communities about how to access the help which is currently available.