Honiton groups feeding the community receive funding boost

Three Honiton community groups have received a funding boost thanks to East Devon District Council's Community Food Fund.

Honiton's TRIP Community Transport Association, Honiton's 55+ Centre and The Random Kitchen have all received a share of a £46,000 fund, set up to help groups provide food to vulnerable people in the district's communities.

East Devon District Council has made £46,000 of funding available to projects related to providing food to residents of East Devon who are in food poverty during the Coronavirus situation.

Grants of between £500 and £2,500 are available. You can find out more about the Coronavirus Community Food Fund on the East Devon website.

The council has already granted:

-£1,800 to Honiton's TRIP Community Transport Association to help them deliver hot food and other meals to vulnerable people in the local community.

-£1,000 to Axminster Food Bank for supplies such as nappies, household items and cleaning products that they desperately need, which will then be given out to local people in need.

-£1,500 to Launchpad SW Community Interest Company to help them provide and deliver meals to vulnerable people in Budleigh Salterton and expand their service to several nearby parishes.

-£1,800 to Honiton's 55+ Centre to support them in providing meals for vulnerable people in Honiton.

-£1,000 to Nourish Axminster, to help pay for the costs of the packaging and delivering meals to vulnerable people.

-£1,500 to The Random Kitchen, who are making meals and delivering them to vulnerable people in and around the Honiton area.

Projects that could be eligible for the funding include:

-A food bank whose stocks of items are running low and they need an immediate donation to enable them to restock.

-New equipment / resources that allow groups to have the capacity for the increased number of people needing their food related service.

-A service providing hot meals delivered to the homes of vulnerable people, children or adults, who might otherwise not have a hot meal.

-Costs related to collecting food donations and delivering food to those in need.

-Training of staff and volunteers working on food related projects. It can be used to fund eligible capital (so for physical things like equipment) and revenue costs (so for things like training, petrol costs).

Applications are accepted from constituted and not-for-private-profit voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector groups and organisations, town and parish councils, charities, or a combination of such groups working together.

The group applying must have a bank account. Non-constituted groups without their own, separate bank account may apply but they will need to do so with the support of an accountable constituted organisation acting on their behalf.

Councillor Ben Ingham, Leader of East Devon District Council said: "I'm really pleased that we're able to help projects and activities that are making such a big difference to vulnerable people in our communities.

"This is a way of us saying thank you to community groups, town and parish councils and other organisations for all their hard work. These are the first two of hopefully many grants to come."