Newcastle Council has given over £500,000 to community and voluntary organisations (VCS) to help them support local residents and service users through the cost-of-living crisis.
Winter Wellbeing Fund
The City Council launched its Winter Wellbeing Fund in December and has since supported almost 100 voluntary and community sector organisations (VCS) across the city including our own Kenton Ward.
One part of the grant fund offered up to £6k to VCSs to enable them to cover their own rising costs.
Recipients of the fund
Silverline Memories and Kenton Food Bank are two recipients of the fund.
Silverline Memories is a Kenton based charity providing essential support and activities for adults (and their carers) living with dementia.
Kenton Food Bank provides over 300 weekly food parcels to individuals, couples and families who are in financial crisis. A Welfare to wellbeing project is due to start to help support clients with budgeting and mental health related issues.
Winter Wellbeing Hubs
£500 has also been made available to any organisation that opened as a Winter Wellbeing Hub. These have sprung up across the city.
Three operate in the Kenton district including The Haven (Sure Start Centre), Kenton Food Bank and Kenton Centre Hub providing residents with somewhere warm while giving opportunities to learn new skills and meet other people.
These VCS bodies continue to play a key role in helping to mitigate the effects of the Cost-of-Living crisis both in Kenton and elsewhere in the city.
