THOUSANDS of people struggling with the cost of living across Wirral will be able to access support over Christmas and the winter months thanks to new funding for community groups.

A total of £770,000 has been awarded to 49 local groups, who will each receive up to £21,000 to help them provide food and essential welfare support to residents who are struggling in their areas.

The leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paul Stuart, said: "Big increases in the cost of food, coupled with eye-watering energy bills and spiralling housing costs, mean that far too many residents are facing another tough winter.

"This funding will help ensure people can get the food and other essentials they need from a trusted local group.

"If you or someone you know is struggling, please get in touch and find out what help is available".

The Small Grants Programme is part of a £6,098,690 million package of support funded by the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF), which runs until the end of March 2024.

The current phase (Round 4) of HSF funding is the latest from the Department for Work and Pensions, which has awarded £15.25million to Wirral since December 2020.

The Crown Community Hub in Wallasey is one of the groups to receive funding from the latest round of the HSF Small Grants Programme.

Its director, Michelle Leatham, said: "So many people are struggling at the moment, including many who are working and have never needed to reach out for help before.

"Our community hub provides a familiar and welcoming place where we can engage people in a way that might not be possible elsewhere.

"The £21,000 we have been awarded will allow us to provide ‘Christmas in a Box’ hampers, containing some essentials such as food and toys, which will help to ensure that low-income families can enjoy Christmas without getting into more unaffordable debt or compromising other basic needs.

"In the New Year we will continue to make everyday essentials are available in our community larder, so that more local families and individuals can make ends meet without facing the agonizing choice between heating and eating."

Information about this and other support available is posted on the Council website at www.wirral.gov.uk/costofliving or by calling the helpline on 0151 606 2005 if unable to go online.

Information about food and other support available to residents is also posted on the Wirral Infobank website at www.wirralinfobank.co.uk.

The 49 organisations awarded funding to provide food and welfare support through the Small Grants Programme are:

  • Bee Early Years CIO: £5,139
  • Birkenhead Forum Housing Association: £13,548
  • Break the Mould: £21,000
  • Bridging the Wallasey Gap: £18,900
  • Byrne Avenue Trust: £10,901
  • Caritas Diocese of Shrewsbury: £16,570
  • Carrbridge Centre: £20,000
  • Charlotte’s Brightside: £8,789
  • Core Project Birkenhead CIC: £20,900
  • D Hub 67 C.I.C: £18,837
  • Eastham/Delamere Community Centre: £17,950
  • Equilibrium North West CIC: £17,388
  • Gautby Road Play, Youth & Community Centre: £20,950
  • Heart4Refugees: £21,000
  • Hype Merseyside: £18,500
  • Inspire Community Café: £4,567
  • Involve Northwest: £19,800
  • Jubilee Church Wirral: £12,631
  • Kingdom Life Church: £820
  • Koala North West: £11,550
  • Liscard Community Links CIC: £17,850
  • Make It Happen Birkenhead: £15,000
  • Neo Community: £12,500
  • Nightingales Recovery Café CIC: £19,500
  • North Birkenhead Development Trust: £18,375
  • Number Seven: £21,000
  • Our Happy Hub: £15,330
  • Parochial Church Council of St Barnabas: £11,447 
  • Prenton Tenants and Residents Association: £18,900
  • Rek41 CIC: £20,160
  • Rock Ferry Salvation Army Community Church: £6,820
  • Rockpoint CIC: £7,875
  • Sandbrook Social Supermarket: £10,500
  • St Vincent de Paul: £21,000
  • The Can-Do Food Club: £9,240
  • The Crown Community Hub: £21,000
  • The Hive Wirral Youth Zone: £19,690
  • The Little Centre Beechwood: £21,000
  • The Local Carers Network: £15,750
  • The Meeting Place: £6,971
  • The Oak Community Project at Christ the King: £17,900
  • The Positivitree: £21,000
  • Tomorrow's Women: £10,800
  • Tranmere Rovers in the Community: £20,000
  • Wirral Change Limited: £21,000
  • Wirral Deen Centre: £20,000
  • Wirral Foodbank: £20,000
  • Wirral Islamic Cultural Centre & Shahjalal Mosque Ltd: £19,700
  • Wirral Multicultural Organisation: £10,752