Nearly £5m announced to tackle food poverty and hardship in Wales

Nation.Cymru staff

Nearly £5m is being provided to councils across Wales to help people struggling with food poverty and the cost of living.

The Welsh Government said the £4.8m funding would support emergency food aid for people in crisis as well as schemes aimed at preventing households falling into poverty.

Councils will be able to use the money to strengthen community support including lunch clubs, social supermarkets and community cafes, while grants can also be provided directly to food banks facing increased demand.

Some of the funding will be used to improve cost-of-living advice for families, while organisations will also be able to buy equipment including fridges, freezers and cooking equipment to increase the amount of food they can store and distribute.

The money will be distributed to councils through the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), with guidance provided on how it should be used.

However, councils will have some discretion to direct the funding towards activities in areas where they consider the need to be greatest.

Rural councils will receive an enhanced allocation specifically for rural communities in recognition of the additional challenges involved in providing support in those areas.

The additional money is intended to improve access to services, strengthen community resilience and ensure people living in rural areas can receive support equivalent to that available in more urban areas.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality Sioned Williams said: “Nobody in Wales should have to go without food or struggle to make ends meet.

“This funding will help local authorities respond quickly to people in crisis right now, while also building the long-term support that helps families avoid hardship in future.

“We know the cost of living continues to put pressure on households across the country, and that’s why we’re targeting support where it’s needed most.

“We want every part of Wales to have the resources they need to support people through difficult times and build lasting resilience for the future.”

Previous funding has supported projects including Down to Zero in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which provides affordable, locally grown and pesticide-free produce to people experiencing food poverty.

The project delivered more than 230 boxes of fresh, low-cost vegetables across the area last year and is currently delivering boxes to 40 families.

Kevin Edwards, one of the site managers at Down to Zero in Llantrisant, said: “As the Llysiau lead at Down to Zero, my role is to help with the general running of the site, and to run the Llysh bocs deliveries. At the moment I am delivering vegetable boxes to 40 families through RCT.

“The scheme is to help families who are struggling with food poverty with deliveries every three days. It’s heartbreaking to hear that families are struggling to feed their children, so I’m really proud to be involved in a scheme that is trying to reduce food poverty.”

Cost-of-living support

The £4.8m forms part of the Welsh Government’s wider package of cost-of-living support.

Other measures include the Discretionary Assistance Fund, which provides emergency financial help to people facing particular hardship, and the Single Advice Fund, which funds free advice services.

Support also includes the Nest Warm Homes Programme, fuel bank vouchers, free school meals and the Bwyd a Hwyl school holiday food and enrichment programme.

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