Holbeck Together awarded £9,969 to continue their support for families and older people in first quarter of 2022 as ‘Awful April’ approaches
South Leeds charity Holbeck Together have been awarded £9,969 to extend their support for families and older people in Holbeck. The funding comes from a Widening Partnership Grant from Leeds City Council who have recognised the ongoing impact of the Pandemic on some of Leeds most vulnerable communities.
The funding will allow Holbeck Together to continue to provide meals, essential food supplies and to extend their affordable social supermarket.
Holbeck Together saw first-hand the difficult choices families and older people were having to make over the festive period. With many people already under significant financial strain, which has increased due to the pandemic and the rapidly rising cost of living, Holbeck Together provided:
- 300 free food hampers for families and older people in Holbeck
- cooked Christmas Day lunch for 50 people
- joined forces with Lloyds Banking Group to make sure no child in Holbeck was without a present to unwrap on Christmas Day to the value of £3,400 of which Lloyds then match funded.
Holbeck is one of the most deprived areas in England experiencing challenges around income, employment, education, health, housing and environment and suffering from high crime rates.
Elissa Newman, Chief Officer of Holbeck Together, said:
“We’ve already seen our community come under significant strain due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With the anticipated ‘Awful April’ looming with increases in utility bills, energy bills and council tax we know we will have people in our community facing the stark choice of paying for food or fuel.
“Thankfully this funding from Leeds City Council provides a stop-gap level of support for the next 12 weeks. It will allow us to support people in the community on low incomes or struggling financially and endeavour to make sure the most vulnerable people of Holbeck don’t have to choose between food and fuel in the first couple of months of 2022.
“We offer a range of free services and support at Holbeck Together, from helping anyone in crisis right through to free activities to help people feel a little less lonely, such as group trips, craft clubs and coffee mornings. I would encourage anyone in Holbeck who is need of support to either call into our offices, give us a ring on (0113) 245 5553 or contact us through our social media channels.”
This post is based on a press release issued on behalf of Holbeck Together
