Support for community groups available during cost of living crisis
Published: 25 October 2022
Community groups and organisations providing warm spaces for residents this winter are being supported with grants by the City Council.
Warm Spaces Grants of up to £500 are now available for organisations to apply for on the Council’s website.
The grant will help with the additional costs community groups will face this winter. It is hoped the support will encourage more groups to come forward and offer warm spaces to help residents through the cost of living crisis.
Warm spaces provide residents with somewhere to keep warm, enjoy company and access help and support and if they are struggling to pay rising energy costs at home.
An initial pot of £10,000 will be made available to support community groups, which is in addition to any other support which they may be entitled to.
Organisations can apply now for a Warm Spaces Grant by visiting the Council’s website.
Cllr Martin Pearce, Lead Councillor of Communities & Homelessness Prevention, said: “Although this is not this Council’s statutory duty, we cannot just stand by while the cost of living crisis is unfolding, and we need to make sure that our residents are being supported throughout.
“It is so important that organisations who are opening up warm spaces to support our communities are supported by us, as much as they can be.”
Councillors recently passed a Cost of Living Emergency Declaration proposed by Cllr Pearce at full Council.
It declared a Cost of Living Emergency and called on the Government to introduce an Emergency Budget and take urgent action to protect the people of Exeter from further harm.
It highlighted rising energy costs, food costs and inflation, as well as high levels of personal taxation and a fall in the real value of pay as well as a reduction in Universal Credit.
The declaration also noted that in 2020/21, more than 4,000 children in Exeter lived in poverty.
As well as providing Warm Spaces Grants, the Council has committed to doing everything it can to signpost residents to the support available in the community.
For details of community support, and for more information about the support schemes administered by Exeter City Council, visit Cost of living support - Exeter City Council.
Applications for Warm Spaces Grants are open now on the Council’s website.