Nearly £1 MILLION announced to support vulnerable children and families in Southport

Families in Southport and across Sefton that have been hardest hit by the pandemic and need extra support this winter with food and bills will benefit from a new £170 million scheme unveiled by the Government.

The Covid Winter Grant Scheme will see councils across England share £170 million in additional, ring-fenced funding to help vulnerable families and individuals, with Sefton Council receiving £980,471.32.

This will prevent children from going hungry this winter and ensure local families get the help they need. It builds on the £63 million already provided to councils this year to assist those struggling to buy food and essentials.

A further £220 million will be invested in extending the Holiday and Food Programme until next Christmas, meaning
that all children eligible for Free School Meals will have the option to join a holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and fun activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays next year.

READ MORE: 7 Practical Ways to Make Your Home a Winter Paradise

Commenting, Southport MP Damien Moore said:

“I am pleased to see that the extra £980,471.32 for Sefton Council will help families in Southport and across the UK who need extra support with food and bills this.

“This has been a challenging year for families and knowing that the government will give them the support they need at this time will be welcome news. 

“I am also pleased that the Prime Minister has announced the extension of the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides healthy food and activities for children during the school holidays and has a massive impact on disadvantaged young people in our community, to cover Easter, Summer and Christmas next year.”

To support people during this challenging time, the Conservative government has invested more than £200 billion to protect people’s jobs and incomes through the furlough scheme, grants for the self-employed and other support for business and a £9.3 billion injection to strengthen the welfare safety net this year.