Grant funding of £100k will be shared between Derbyshire food banks that have seen a decline in donations and volunteers, as need increases.
Derbyshire County Council (DCC) has pledged the funding to the Derbyshire Community Foundation, an independent charity operating under the name of ‘Foundation Derbyshire’ that provides support to the county’s food banks.
A DCC report into food poverty, revealed the percentage of the county’s children qualifying for free school meals has increased from 22.3 in 2020/21 to 24.7 in 2021/22, an indication that there are more low income families.
It stated: “Local intelligence indicates that food banks are struggling to get or keep volunteers and that donations have reduced both from individuals and supermarkets as a result of ongoing cost of living pressures.”
The cash will come from the county’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund and will pay for food, volunteer and staffing expenses, fixtures and fittings and fuel costs.
Since March 2020, DCC has provided £450k of grants administered to food banks by Foundation Derbyshire.
