More than £780,000 is being provided by Derbyshire County Council to support residents affected by the rising cost of living this Winter.
It is part of a package of financial support being given to projects and organisations across the county that support vulnerable people with practical help, advice and information, and it comes as the authority announces a new £50,000 fund to support warm spaces in community venues for residents and their families who are struggling to heat their homes.
Voluntary, community and charity organisations will be able to bid for a share of the cash towards their operating costs to provide a warm refuge during the colder winter months. The money will be able to be used towards energy bills and providing refreshments or activities
Announcing the fund Council Leader Councillor Barry Lewis said: “Everyone is feeling the impact of the rising cost of living which is why we’re putting in place support for the most vulnerable in our communities as we head in to winter.
“Our new Warm Spaces Fund will provide grants of up to £1,000 to organisations to help with the costs of either opening their venues, or where they already run activities, keeping them open for longer to provide a safe, warm space for people to go.”
The county council is working with district and borough councils and is also looking at how it can use its own buildings, including libraries, to provide warm spaces for the public.
An additional £80,000 will also be given to Locality Health Partnerships to provide cost of living support to people in their local communities.
Each of the eight partnerships – made up of county, district and borough councils, health organisations, the police, fire service and representatives from local organisations and charities – will receive £10,000 to address issues within their areas.
As well as the new fund, the authority has also agreed to give an additional £100,000 to Marches Energy Advice which, working alongside foodbanks, supports people in crisis with emergency heating measures.
The additional funding could help an extra 650 households across Derbyshire struggling with energy costs. Support includes providing emergency credit meter funding, pre-payment vouchers or low-cost lightbulbs alongside advice and support.
Other projects receiving support from the council up to 31st March 2023 are:
- £100,000 to Foundation Derbyshire to support the work of foodbanks plus £67,000 to support the work of Citizens’ Advice in providing wrap-around support to people using them
- £42,000 to Derbyshire Law Centre to support its work with people in secure housing
- £22,000 to Derby Law Centre to support people facing eviction
- £54,000 to support the Winter Rough Sleeping project co-ordinated by the Derbyshire Homeless Officers Group
- £20,000 to Rural Action Derbyshire for its Rural Hardship Fund
Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Carol Hart said: “It is incredibly important that we support the most vulnerable in our communities as we head in to the colder winter months. Organisations across Derbyshire are already providing incredible support to our elderly, families and people in crisis and this financial injection from the council means that excellent work can continue.”
Derbyshire County Council has also announced it was doubling the amount of money available through its members’ Community Leadership Scheme to provide extra cost of living support.
From the 1st October 2022, the fund increased from £247,000 to just under £500,000. To apply visit: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/communityleadershipscheme.
The council has been awarded a further £5.4m from Government to continue its support to families under the Household Support Fund. Details of how that will be spent will be available soon.
The council has also created a dedicated webpage to ensure local people can find all the help and information they need to help with the cost of living at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/costofliving.