NEW APPEAL LAUNCHED TO TACKLE THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Gloucestershire Community Foundation calls for support for a new fund aimed at supporting the rising number of people struggling financially this year.

There is likely to be one-off government payments, so we ask if you don’t need it, pass it on #DonateTheRebate.

As the cost of living crisis worsens, for people across Gloucestershire this year, the choice will no longer be between heating and eating – neither will be affordable.

Often perceived as a wealthy county, Gloucestershire is also home to some of the poorest communities in the country. However, it seems in this crisis, almost nobody is immune from the risk of financial hardship this winter, families, people living alone, older people and working couples. As fuel prices skyrocket for a second time this year, experts predict that even households with an income of £45,000 are likely to need some financial support this winter. The energy price cap has risen from £1,138 in February 2021 to £3,549 in October 2022 – a staggering 212% increase from one winter to the next.

Even before this enormous price hike, 15% of people in the UK were facing food insecurity.

This year, 4 in 10 people on Universal Credit – around 2.5 million people – will be unable to afford food. As many as 50% of these are in work, including households with two working adults. 

Researchers estimate that total bills are currently higher than income for the poorest 60% of society. This comes at a time when around 1.2 million people in the UK have no savings to fall back on, and nearly half of families have savings worth less than one month of income.

Locally in Gloucestershire food banks have seen a 55% increase in referrals over the last two months, but donations to food banks are down to 4% from 30% in 2019.

We have seen early signs this crisis is worse than in pandemic times, as donations to charities has plummeted and statutory funding is limited, but need is rising rapidly.

This is why Gloucestershire Community Foundation (GCF) wants to raise £100,000 to tackle the cost of living crisis, and provide essential, urgent support to those who need it the most. GCF funds grassroots charities and community organisations to deliver help exactly where it is needed, and carries out research every year into the specific needs in Gloucestershire, ensuring that it has the expertise to deliver maximum impact through its funding and programmes.

Funding from GCF has been a vital lifeline to many during the pandemic and beyond. The CEO of one charity supported by GCF last year said “GCF has done a fabulous job supporting Gloucestershire charities during these unprecedented times”.

The charity is already noticing an increase in need, before the winter fuel peak. “Charities in Gloucestershire are coming to us for funding to help people who need it urgently, and it’s absolutely essential that we have the funds available to help them, to ensure that people’s basic needs around heating and eating are met during this crisis” says CEO Talitha Nelson.

Through the new Cost of Living Crisis Fund, the charity’s hope and ambition is that we get vital funding out to the people who need it most, as quickly as possible.

There is likely to be one off government payments, so we ask if you don’t need it pass it on #DonateTheRebate.

If you are interested in the work that Gloucestershire Community Foundation does, and you would like to learn more, or to contribute to this vital fund, you can visit Surviving a Winter in Crisis - Gloucestershire CF

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