Bulwell community groups offering food and cost of living help to get a slice £150,000 council grant

Figures from the Consumer Data Research Centre show many areas of Nottingham have high levels of food poverty, particularly Aspley, Bulwell, Bestwood, Basford, Dales, Leen Valley and Mapperley.

In these areas there is limited access to cheap, healthy and sustainable sources of food, and they are the “most vulnerable” to inflated prices amid the ongoing cost of living crisis, Nottingham Council documents say.

Money is therefore being made available to community organisations through small grants of up to £1,000, to allow them to combat the problem by carrying out health and wellbeing-focused projects and initiatives.

A similar small scheme was set up in December 2021, using £485,000 from the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to help establish a ‘community health champions’ programme.

Around £300,000 was given out in small grants of up to £2,000 to support local community organisations and community volunteers to facilitate health and wellbeing projects.

Council delegated decision documents say: “These small grants empowered communities to create accessible and inclusive health initiatives, reduce health inequalities and provide the tools and resources to drive positive, healthy change in our communities.”

However, in August this year, the programme ceased.

The Labour-run council has therefore decided to approve the spending of up to £150,000 of public health grant money through a new ‘healthy communities small grants scheme’.

The new scheme will be managed by a public health manager who has experience of the previous programme.

Around £100,000 will be available over two financial years from the healthy communities budget, and £50,000 will be available until the end of 2023-24 from the health improvement budget, specifically for small grants relating to healthy eating and nutrition.

Documents add: “This proposal builds on a previous agreement at the public health programme board for continued support to the model for community public health and the community health and wellbeing champions.

“The £50,000 of funding allocated from the health improvement portfolio is to support the healthy communities team to provide funding for grants which address the needs of our communities in relation to the cost of living crisis and the associated lack of access to healthy and nutritious food.”