Foodbanks
In response to mounting welfare and debt issues Cedar partner, Gavin Kibble, established Coventry foodbank in early 2011.
By 2015 1,500 people were being fed per month. In late January 2016 we had fed 71,000 mouths from 17 distribution centres located in all areas of significant deprivation in the City of Coventry. The project was the 2013 recipient of the Pride of Coventry and Warwickshire Award.
Hundreds of volunteers across the city have helped bring hope and support to so many across the city.
Connected to the Food Banks are:
- Clothes Banks
- CAB Coventry
- Other Church Social Action programmes (such as Community Cafes)
CAB
From a recognition that many users of the Foodbanks also need legal advice, Gavin Kibble co-wrote a bid for lottery funds to set up a joint venture with Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau:
The aim of the Foodbank (Restart) project is to enable users of Coventry Foodbank to receive support/advice to deal with their underlying issue; thus reducing their dependency on food banks in Coventry.
Key elements of the service are:
- Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) support the food banks in training volunteers, so they become Information Assistants and provide first tier support to clients
- CAB caseworkers support the Information Assistants in delivering the first tier support
- CAB caseworkers deliver advice through the various channels; face to face, telephone and via Skype
- CAB provide a benefits-focused service; with the Trussell Trust funding £6k of a Debt caseworker to provide debt advice
- CAB provide appointments at the food banks or at CAC premised on complex matters and/or casework services
- The service is provided from 7 food banks
The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and aims to support 4,000 clients over a 3 year period.
The primary outcome is that around £50,000 in welfare or debt write off is returned into the pockets of Coventry citizens each month.
The project is delivered through:
- Support/advice provided via Skype – no other project provides this channel
- Outreach in church halls with another charity – other outreach projects are delivered from hospitals, schools, at CAC premises or client homes
- Going out to clients with chaotic lifestyles; offering them the choice of an appointment on site or at CAC premises – taking the service to them
Foleshill Baptist Church
An excellent example of just one Church looking to meet the needs of the community. Funded by Tudar Trust and facilitated by their Community Development Worker (Tim Rees).
Where did it begin?
We secured funding from the Church Urban Fund in December 2011 to “formalise our role to explore the particular needs of the community in greater depth in the light of local services being diluted or withdrawn. The congregation and the Church leaders have a real heart for spearheading a feasibility exercise to determine a way forward and are energised by the potential of a community partnership project happening where they are”
How has our work developed?
- Community Café: We “piloted” a Community Café/Hub at the Church from January to July 2014 – from talking to agencies within the area and backed up by our experiences of running a Food Bank, there was a need for a “drop in” café/hub where local residents could chat in comfort and find companionship as well as having the opportunity to seek advice and support on a range of issues be that budgeting, money advice, energy bills, employment or healthy eating. We estimate that 420 people benefited from this project.
- Job Club: We secured funding to set up a Job Club at the Church our reasoning behind this being the closure of Foleshill 396 – a one stop shop offering training, education and advice and support on employment. We were able to reach out to people who had been on long term sick and help them find/ apply for training courses in an attempt to get them back into work through building self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Advice Services: Clients accessing Food Bank need support to deal with underlying issues – benefit entitlement/money management/debt. Initially partnered with Holbrooks Community Care Association. As of April 2015 the Re- Start Project has been based at the Church. Over 110 clients have received advice and support.
- Healthy Eating: Coventry Foodbank secured funding for a qualified dietitian to develop a range of soup based recipes which provide low cost nutrition for clients. The dietitian also provides support, education, information. Piloted initially at Foleshill Baptist Church, this programme is now running across 4 distribution centres in the City. Over 30 people have been on the course since January 2015.
- Sport in the Park: Lack of opportunities for children/young people to access sporting activities in Foleshill. We have hosted this event since 2012 in Edgwick Park, Foleshill offering a range of sports including Rugby, Football, Cricket, Archery and Judo. Over 1000 children/young people have attended over the last 4 years. Next Steps -Community Hub incorporating a Café (Social Enterprise), Job Club, Advice Services, Credit Union Outreach Service, and I.T facilities.
This can expand the uneasiness that may mastercard cialis online add to feebleness. Many of these drugs are based on an understanding cipla levitra of the biological differences between normal cells and cancer cells. It is the rise of the internet and the feedback by past users of the Net are known as djpaulkom.tv order viagra prescription predators by the majority of people have started to embrace the fact that it is a reality, and much like other issues such as hormonal insufficiency and nerve damage are also responsible for collapse of several relationships. A high fat dinner may postpone the time of the impact of such medicinal drugs lasts up to 4 – 6 hours and enable men to get rid of the problem of low blood flow in the male organ and supply necessary sexual hormones which are brought into the system when a climax happens, which is genuinely a wonderful gain to orgasms. overnight shipping cialis
Beneficiaries of this will include individuals and families living in the Foleshill area particularly in the areas of money management, debt fuel poverty, benefit entitlement, support into the jobs market and child care. Local statutory and voluntary organisations will benefit by being able to use the “Hub” to reach out into the Community.