As reported on the Coventry Council website today
Coventry has acquired £1.3m to support the ones most in need. Part of the government’s covid winter grant scheme.
The money will go to support people in a wide variety of ways, including free school meals for eligible children over the Christmas holidays.
The grants will help families and individuals with essentials such as food, energy and water bills. The money has been given to the Council to spend in the best ways for the city.
A working group has been set up and details on how families and individuals can apply are on the Council website on our Coronavirus web pages.
The winter grant scheme is available to support families and individuals with access to food, energy, water bills and other essential items. The aim is to give vulnerable households peace of mind in the run up to Christmas and over the Winter months during the pandemic by helping those who need it to have food on the table and other essentials, so every child will be warm and well-fed this Winter.
The scheme will run through until 31 March 2021. If you require support please contact the Council on 08085 834333 where you will receive support with making an application.
The money could also help people with things such as repairs for boilers and ovens, although it could not be used for expenses such as rent.
There is a particular emphasis on children, with free school meals at Christmas and the February half-term and grants to support schools with additional warm clothing for pupils because of the need for greater ventilation in classrooms during the pandemic.
Cllr David Welsh, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities said: “COVID has affected all our lives, and a lot of families are struggling financially. This grant money will go to help those who need that extra bit of support this winter.
“It will give them the security of knowing there are warm meals and clothing for their children and it will help keep people healthy and safe in what we know will, be a difficult winter for so many in our city.
“We are now in the process of identifying the best way to make sure that families and single people who need our help know what’s available.
“We already have excellent partnerships in place with advice agencies, and community organisations are already working with benefits and customer service advisers, so we are well placed to ensure this funding is used effectively.
“We will be announcing details very soon and I would urge anyone who needs some extra help to apply as soon as possible.”
Cllr Kevin Maton, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “Our schools have done a fantastic job throughout the pandemic, continuing to provide lessons and bringing in new measures to keep all the children safe.
“This money will help to support that work through essentials such as warm clothing. Something as simple as a fleece or a woolly hat could help children beat off winter illnesses and prevent the spread of germs and so help us battle coronavirus.
“We are delighted that schools will also be able to support children through free school meals in the holidays. This is always an expensive and difficult time of year for a lot of families and this will help to take a little bit of the stress away.”
The money has been distributed to local authorities based on population size and levels of deprivation in the local area.
The Council is making the claims process as straightforward as possible and is working with a range of partners to deliver the grants, including Schools and the Coventry Food Network.
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