Warm Welcome and Good Food Funds
Perth and Kinross Council · 29 November 2023
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 29 November 2023 and its agenda
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Perth And Kinross Council Housing & Social Wellbeing Committee 29 November 2023 WARM WELCOME AND GOOD FOOD FUNDS Report by the Director of Strategy, People and Resources (Report No. 23/338) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report provides information on the delivery of the Warm Welcome Fund (formerly the Cost-of-Living Fund) and the Good Food Fund (formerly the Food Security Fund). 2. RECOMMEDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Council: • Note the impact from the Cost-of-Living Fund • Note the impact from the Food Security Fund • Note the change in approach to delivering the Warm Welcome Fund • Note the change in approach to delivering the Good Food Fund • Approve an evaluation of the process and impact of the Warm Welcome Fund • Approve a formal recognition of the efforts of community volunteers in delivering Warm Welcome Fund Projects 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background/Main Issues • Section 5: Proposals • Section 6: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND / MAIN ISSUES 4.1 The Cost-of-Living Fund was aimed at providing funding for community groups to provide warm spaces, activities, food and warm home packs for people negatively impacted by the cost-of-living crisis over the winter of 2022/23. An initial £320K was made available, with the fund opening for applications in October 2022. However due to need a further £100K was added to the fund in December 2022, with all of the money being allocated by January 2023.
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4.2 The evaluation process demonstrated that the funding had a positive impact on communities, not only through the provision of warm spaces, helping address poor physical and mental wellbeing, food and fuel poverty and social isolation, particularly in rural areas, helping develop greater inclusivity within communities. The Cost of Living Fund also provided food and warm home packs, giving people the opportunity to stay warm in their own homes. The role of community volunteers was critical in the successful delivery of the Fund and has helped community groups to develop their own capacity and ability to meet emerging needs within their communities. 5. WARM WELCOME FUND 23/24 5.1 Through monitoring and evaluation of the Fund (Appendix 1) it was clear that the funding provided much needed support to households during the winter months, however the feedback identified that some warm spaces had been under used and levels of uptake were lower than anticipated by local groups. There was also duplication in some areas with groups offering competing activities at the same time, as well as gaps in some communities where no activities or spaces were available. 5.2 To ensure that community groups worked more collaboratively across all areas of Perth and Kinross a revised model for 23/24 was developed. Throughout August and September Community Learning & Development Workers from Culture and Community Services facilitated workshops in each ward area, inviting local groups and organisations to attend with project proposals that set out how they would work in partnership to meet the needs of their local communities. 5.3 An initial £200K was allocated as part of the Council budget for 23/24 with an additional £50K agreed in September 2023. The original £200K funding was split by ward area, based on the population in that ward as follows: Ward 1 £12,960 Ward 2 £20,120 Ward 3 £14,775 Ward 4 £12,075 Ward 5 £16,820 Ward 6 £14,280 Ward 7 £15,670 Ward 8 £19,160 Ward 9 £12,440 Ward 10 £21,088 Ward 11 £16,403 Ward 12 £24,208 5.4 The additional £50K was used in wards where need exceeded the allocated funding. Funds were paid to groups and organisations by the end of October 2023. Monitoring of take up and feedback will be ongoing, and a wider evaluation will take place at the of the financial year 23/24 to establish the effectiveness of the fund and identify and areas for improvement. 5.5 In order to recognise the valuable work carried out by volunteers delivering Warm Welcome Fund projects in their local communities it is proposed to hold a celebration event in the Civic Hall in March 2024. Planning and delivery of this event will be carried out with PKAVS (Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Service) in their role as lead agency for volunteer support in Perth and Kinross.
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6. FOOD SECURITY FUND 6.1 The Scottish Government’s Good Food Nation Act was passed on 15 June 2022 with the vision that by 2025 Scotland will be “a Good Food Nation, where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day.” 6.2 The Perth and Kinross Food Security Fund was available for community groups to apply for throughout 2022/23. £235,000 was available to local groups and organisations to provide projects which targeted food waste and food insecurity. Detailed information on projects funded can be found in Appendix 2. 6.3 The Good Food Fund was open to applications in May 2023 with a budget of £50,000. Groups were able to apply for a maximum of £4000. 20 groups have been funded to deliver projects based on the vision of the Good Food Nation Act, taking a more dignified approach to tackling food insecurity. 7. PROPOSALS 7.1 The revised Warm Welcome Fund model has been well received by community groups and the result is a locally co-ordinated approach to providing warm spaces and warm packs in communities across Perth & Kinross with no duplication which maximises the use of the funding and provides best value. 7.2 The monitoring and evaluation of the Warm Welcome Fund will be adapted to ensure officers collect information on the impact of the fund. Funded projects will be asked to keep a record of overall attendances at warm spaces as well as the number of ‘unique’ attendees and numbers of warm packs issued. There will be communications across the winter months to promote what is available in each area. 7.3 The revised Good Food Fund model has enabled groups to think creatively about delivering the vision of the Good Food Nation Act and move towards a preventative approach rather than emergency food response. The result is that this year organisations have applied for projects with a focus on a holistic way of tackling food insecurity. 7.4 Projects have been supported which educate and upskill community members on healthy eating and cooking on a budget whilst also targeting diet related ill health and social isolation. Projects have been supported to promote a cash first approach and have received copies of the ‘Worrying About Money?’ leaflet. A detailed evaluation will be undertaken in 2024 to measure the impact of the fund. Projects will be asked to detail how they have helped those within their community at risk of poverty to overcome food insecurity and to provide case studies which demonstrate impact.
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8. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 8.1 Community Groups and Organisations are working collaboratively across all areas of Perth and Kinross to provide a varied programme of activities over the winter period which provide a warm welcome to those struggling with cost of living and social isolation. Through this collaborative approach, groups are also able to use the funding to provide co-ordinated provisions of warm home packs to those most vulnerable at home. 8.2 Community Groups and Organisations are making significant steps to move away from an emergency food response through the use of funding for innovative projects which promote healthy eating, cooking on a budget and reducing social isolation, whilst also promoting a cash first approach. Author Name Designation Contact Details Karen Evans Team Leader kevans@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Clare Mailer Director (Strategy, People and Resources) 6 November 2023 APPENDICES • Appendix 1 – Cost of Living Report 2022/23 • Appendix 2 – Food Security Fund Report 2022/23 • Appendix 3 – Ward Breakdowns of Allocated Funding
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATION, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan / Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial None Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment None Strategic Environmental Assessment None Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) None Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal Yes External None Communication Communications Plan Yes 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This report supports the following priorities within the Community Plan 2022- 27: i. Reducing Poverty (including child poverty, fuel poverty and food poverty) ii. Mental and physical wellbeing iv. Skills, learning and development v. Employability Corporate Plan 1.2 This report supports the following objectives within the draft new Corporate Plan: (iii) People can achieve their best physical and mental health and have access to quality care and support when they need it; (iv) Communities are resilient and physically, digital and socially connected;
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2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 Not applicable. Workforce 2.2 Not applicable. 3. Assessments Equality Impact Assessment 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. The Equality Impact Assessment undertaken in relation to this report can be viewed clicking here. i. Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • in the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets; • in the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaptation programmes; and • in a way that it considers most sustainable. Legal and Governance 3.4 Not applicable. Risk 3.6 Not applicable.
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4. Consultation Internal 4.1 Kim Macdonald, Good Food Co-ordinator. External 4.2 Not applicable. 5. Communication 5.1 A plan has been developed with the communications team to promote the warm spaces available. A printable PDF for each ward area will be created for local promotion as well as promotion through online channels. A video showcasing a variety of the warm spaces will also be created in January 2024. 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 None.