By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Newark and Sherwood District Council is to spend more than £50,000 on food clubs, cooking classes and emergency food parcels for residents struggling with the cost of living.
The authority has set aside the money to support families facing “the biggest pressures” including food and fuel poverty.
In December 2022, the council’s cabinet agreed to create a fund of £150,000 to help residents and staff with the cost of living crisis.
Then in February 2023, a further £50,000 was added to the fund for further projects collated in a ‘Cost-of-Living Action Plan’.
This included support for businesses, staff and residents in the area.
Now, the council is looking to spend the remaining £52,800 on further projects.
Councillors will discuss the move at a cabinet meeting on October 31.
£10,000 will be spent on the expansion of food clubs into the evenings, pending confirmation from the charity FareShare.
The trial would include two food clubs extending their opening hours into the evening to support families who are working but “just about managing”.
Another £10,000 will be used for cooking sessions with the Academy Transformation Trust Further Education in Sutton-in-Ashfield and Newark College.
The funding will provide 28 seven-week courses for residents who can gain a qualification by the end of the programme.
“The course delivery will be mobile and travel across the district, targeting parents in school hours”, council documents said.
£12,800 will be used for emergency food parcels for families who have run out of all essentials and cannot access a food club.
Currently, the council says that food clubs are receiving requests for two to three emergency food parcels a week.
The money will fund emergency food parcels for Blidworth, Bilsthorpe, Beaumont Walk and Ollerton Food Clubs.
£10,000 will be used to develop two community gardens in Newark and Sherwood.
“The funding will provide all set up costs including raised beds, equipment, seeds, storage and volunteer training.
“This is also an opportunity to build skills and make new connections.”
The final £10,000 will be spent on fuel vouchers for households
on pre-payment meters through the winter months.
Council documents stated: “The biggest pressures facing families are still being reported as food and fuel poverty.
“These projects therefore aim to support issues of food and fuel insecurity both at the point of need arising (through food clubs and emergency food parcels) but also by supporting households to become more resilient by providing opportunities to grow their own food through two new community gardens and expansion of cooking sessions.
“In addition to the projects proposed above for the remainder of 2023/24, Cabinet may wish to give consideration to supporting the cost-of-living crisis beyond March 2023 either through continuation of the above projects or through additional projects.”
