Projects led by community groups are helping those most in need thanks to funding from North East Lincolnshire Council’s Household Support Fund.
The primary objective of the Government-funded programme is to enable councils and community groups to provide crisis support for vulnerable households. It aims to prevent people falling into crisis at all, or falling deeper into crisis if they are already in difficulties.
It also aims to boost personal resilience by supporting ongoing community-led preventative activities that go beyond initial support.
This year, Oasis Community Hub, which supports the annual Big Uniform Event run by Angel Hayes from Mums in Cleethorpes and Surrounding Areas, has received funding from the Household Support Fund to employ a Family Support Worker to build on the success of the pre-loved uniform events by recruiting and developing volunteers to support local schools.
The uniform events help families with the cost of school uniforms while also helping to boost sustainability by reducing clothing waste in the local area. In the last four years, five events have taken place helping more than 1,000 people with the cost of school uniforms.
The events have been so successful that this year they have taken place over three separate days in Immingham, Grimsby and Cleethorpes, providing families with valuable uniforms, but also reusing and recycling half a ton of clothing.
It is hoped that learning from these events will create a project legacy to build on collaborative strength and insight via schools, community groups and wider statutory partners.
Volunteers will be supported to deliver safe community events, collect and prepare pre-loved uniforms, set up displays and receive Making Every Contact Count training. The project will also create educational packages and resources to improve hygiene, and sewing/repair skills, as well as tips for washing and drying clothing to help save energy and reduce damp issues.
Oasis Hub was successful in its application to NELC’s Household Support Fund, receiving over £57,000 to fund the Family Support Worker, extra admin support, room hire and essential equipment to host the uniform events.
Michelle Donner, from Oasis Community Hub Wintringham, said: “The funding from the Household Support Fund is crucial in allowing us to expand our community services.
“The Family Support worker is key to build relationships, support coordination and develop the toolkit that will capture the learning to support further pre-loved uniform swaps that are connected to the community and stakeholders that can offer responsive support.
“By offering regular, predictable support throughout the year — not just in summer – and through collaboration with other groups, we aim to stop problems before they get bigger.
“In previous years, we have hosted school uniform events by working with parents and partners, creating a welcoming event that offers free uniforms that help manage the costs of school life but also enable connections into the wider support available from statutory and community partners.
“We’ve had direct feedback from families who said that getting uniform and essentials from us kept their child in school, or helped them avoid debt or further hardship. These might seem like small things but they have a huge impact on stability and wellbeing,” she said.
“Every single family that walks through the door is seen as more than just a person collecting uniform. Thanks to our network of stallholders and volunteers, each visit is an opportunity to have a meaningful, positive interaction even if it’s just a chat, a check-in, or a suggestion to visit a support stand.
“Many of the conversations that happen at our events lead to referrals, advice, or support that might never have happened otherwise.”
Cllr Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, visited one of the uniform events held at The Grimsby Institute. He said:
“These events offer vital support to our communities. For families struggling with the cost of living, funding school uniform can be expensive and lead to extra stress.
“Community projects like this that offer sustainability and support for people going forward are what the Household Support Fund is all about. This is just one of a number of projects the Council is helping to support to make a difference to vulnerable people in their communities with ongoing initiatives.”
There is still time to visit the Uniform Event. The sixth event will take place this Saturday August 23 at Cleethorpes Memorial Hall from 1-3pm.
The Council will soon be welcoming ideas and opportunities to support access to affordable food and warm spaces. All future funding opportunities will be posted here: Third Sector Grant Opportunities | NELC
See more about the Household Support Fund and how it has supported the uniform event here:
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