Families and households in Nottinghamshire are benefitting from a community-boosting scheme which is providing them with better access to affordable and healthy food.
The Food Redistribution Fund was launched by Nottinghamshire County Council in March 2023 to enable community groups and organisations to establish hubs to make affordable, good quality and nutritious food more accessible.
£210,000 was set aside for the three-year scheme, as part of the Local Community Fund (LCF), and saw £90,000 awarded to 14 groups and organisations across the county, including food hubs and churches, in the first year.
This has led to thousands of residents directly benefiting from the scheme, which forms part of the County Council’s ongoing drive to reduce health inequalities in Nottinghamshire.
Now organisations, including local authorities such as parish, district, and borough councils, are being encouraged to apply for grants worth up to £10,000 as part the second round of funding.
Councillor Scott Carlton, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health, said: “The Food Redistribution Fund has led to more people across Nottinghamshire receiving extra support to access affordable and nutritious food.
“The community and voluntary sector plays a crucial role in providing a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach residents and through this scheme they are working with people who need support the most.
“The quality of the applications we received last year was excellent and I am delighted that the latest round of funding is now available to help groups and organisations to continue their vital work improving the lives of our residents, particularly with regards to their health and wellbeing.”
£65,000 will be shared among organisations in the latest round of funding and those who benefited from community-boosting funding last year have highlighted how it has helped families facing cost-of-living challenges.
Laura Kennedy, fundraising manager for the Bassetlaw Food Bank in Manton, Worksop, said money successfully secured from the fund had helped to support the costs of two projects, including its Bassetlaw Community Shop.
The community shop visits 10 villages each week, supplying fresh produce to help create ‘better access to healthy food’ in rural areas and supports more than 300 residents on a weekly basis.
She said: “The grant helped us to buy a range of fresh produce such as bananas, apples, carrots, onions, potatoes as well as bread and eggs.
“Providing healthy and nutritious food parcels supports the physical health and well-being of individuals and families facing economic hardship – and creating better access to healthy food in rural areas contributes to long-term positive health outcomes.”
The latest funding round is open until Friday 24 May and to apply or to find out more, visit https://www.nottinghamshire.
For more support and advice, check the county council’s dedicated cost of living support page www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/
