Voluntary groups in Reading receive winter cash to help vulnerable people
Nearly a £100,000 pounds has been shared out to groups that help people in need over the winter months
Last updated 5th Jan 2022
MORE than £90,000 is being distributed across voluntary sector organisations in Reading to help people struggling to pay for basic essentials like warm clothing and white goods over the winter months.
The package of support is in addition to vouchers which have already been sent to families and individuals across the town by the Council to support people struggling with the costs of feeding their children and heating their homes.
The £91,000 will be distributed by the Council as follows:
Household essentials and winter clothing for the homeless (£5,000) – St Mungo’s
Winter clothing and food support for refugees (£5,000) – Reading Refugee Support Group
Winter clothing for children and young people (£6,000) – Brighter Futures for Children to distribute £1,000 each to six VCS organisations
A white goods scheme (new and repaired/recycled) (£75,000) – Christian Community Action
Reading Council Leader Jason Brock said:
“Steep rises in the cost of living in the year ahead continue to concern every one of us, but the biggest impact will be on those people in Reading who have the least.
“The Council has made the very best use of the funding available by distributing food and energy vouchers to support people living in poverty through the winter months. The remaining £91,000 of the grant will now be sent to voluntary organisations in Reading who will provide essential winter clothing for children, young people, the homeless and refugees, and a new and repaired white goods scheme for people who require them."
Funding for the scheme is through the new Household Support Funding scheme, previously known as the Covid Local Support Grant and the Covid Winter Grant Scheme. The funding amount allocated to the Council by the Department for Work and Pensions is £ £1,130,648.94, which must be spent between 6th October and 31st March 2022.
The vast majority of the funding is allocated to food and heating vouchers which have been distributed by the Council.
A Decision Book detailing the allocation of the remaining funding, which totals £91,000, can be found at https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=648