Cost of Living Emergency declared in Stroud
The District Council also plan to invest £100,000 in community support
Stroud District Council is committing financial support for frontline community work, to help people who are struggling with the steep rise in living costs.
Last Thursday (20/10), Councillors unanimously resolved to support the implementation of a cost of living crisis response, and allocate £100,000 to tackle the issue.
This is in addition to more than £250,000 of funding received from Gloucestershire County Council.
Support included within the District Council's response covers;
- Financial help for community hubs
- Supporting warm spaces
- Increasing capacity to make phone referrals to support agencies, and online information to complement Citizens Advice
- Making sure everyone is informed of help available, including those without internet access
- Forming a team to prioritise tackling the cost of living and map gaps in provision
- Training for all front-line staff and volunteers
Councillors from all parties also agreed to write to the Government, and local MPs, calling for immediate financial support for those in need, and a clear plan from Central Government to deal with the crisis.
Council Leader Catherine Braun says: "I was delighted to see unanimous support for our cost of living response plan, which will mean an investment of £100,000 to support the council’s frontline work across the district, in partnership with the fantastic voluntary and community sector, so that support can be provided to people in need.”
"We know that many more people are struggling with cost of living pressures, and it’s important that they know local help is available to them."
The meeting considered a report which included data from Stroud District Foodbank which shows that usage has gone up by 90% since last year.
Stroud District Citizens Advice also provided data which showed a sharp rise in requests for support and in food bank referrals, from January 2019 to September 2022.