Norfolk Household Support Fund Launched

The Covid-19 crisis demonstrated the power of small organisations during a big crisis. Over the course of the pandemic, local voluntary, charity and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations distributed food aid to over 300,000 people in Norfolk. At Norfolk Community Foundation, we also stepped up to deliver rapid-response emergency funding, and were doing the same again to combat hunger this winter. Norfolk Community Foundation has been chosen as a local partner to distribute the Norfolk Household Support Fund. The Fund is easy for organisations to apply for, and is available to a broad range of groups. Organisations are free to choose how they distribute the fund, and we at Norfolk Community Foundation trust them to make the best decisions for their community, just as we did during the pandemic.

This winter is set to be very challenging for lots of people living in Norfolk. Usual grocery bill woes have recently been compounded by a huge spike in energy costs coupled with increased tax and the withdrawal of the Universal Credit uplift, leaving 70,000 Norfolk families worse off than just a few weeks ago. Billie Lawler, who manages The Burrell Shop, told us that, “people may be forced to choose between getting food on the table and putting on the heating.” By empowering local VCSEs to alleviate some of the burden of providing nutritious food to the households they support, fewer people will be forced to choose between heating and eating this winter.

The fund is now available on our Grants for Groups page. It has been established especially for VCSE organisations to supply food aid to people in their communities faced with a difficult winter. The fund entitles organisations to £50 of direct aid per household they serve, deliverable in either direct aid (such as food parcels or hot meals) or as Edenred vouchers. If your service users could benefit from this grant, apply here.