Brighton and Hove Council's emergency food budget for winter

The money will go on emergency meals, food parcels and food banks, with demanded expected to rise during the winter as the poorest juggle food and fuel bills.

Last year Brighton and Hove City Council helped to support a network of 50 neighbourhood food hubs co-ordinated by the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership (BHFP).

They provided support for people who were struggling financially as well as people who were shielding at the start of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

In April last year, the council said 3,001 food parcels were given out every week, along with 3,966 meals.

By July this year, the number had dropped to 1,430 parcels and 2,650 meals a week, according to a report to the policy and resources (recovery) sub-committee.

The sub-committee of five councillors is being asked to vote to add £302,000 to the 2022-23 budget to keep support for the emergency food sector going next year.

• READ MORE: How to get money for food, fuel and other essentials this winter

Emergency food services in the current year are on course to go almost £25,000 over budget, the report said, adding: “The Emergency Food Network is still operating at a 240 per cent increase from pre-pandemic levels.

“The expectation is that this number will increase in autumn 2021 when furlough ends and the £20 Universal Credit uplift is removed.

“Numbers of people needing food support are always higher in winter because of the explicit link between fuel and food poverty.

“Older residents and those with long-term disabilities are particularly vulnerable at this time of year.”

The council provided an initial £45,000 for emergency food in March last year as the first lockdown started and a further £124,500 for the June to August quarter last year.

Last winter, the Covid-19 winter grant of £116,000 supported the community and voluntary sector.

A grant of £90,000 this winter should help groups to buy food and other essentials, with about £65,000 to underwrite a three-year lease and staff to co-ordinate premises for storing and processing emergency food.

Some people struggle to afford to heat their homes and feed themselves over winter

If councillors agree, a further £234,000 would be kept under review to address changing needs, although the report said this was “unfunded”.

The report contained examples of how money had been spent, including support for children’s centre food banks, funding for emergency food providers and scoping work for community-delivered meals.

It said the East Brighton Food Co-op, for example, had set up a meals-on-wheels service to deliver to 260 homes seven days a week in response to the pandemic.

While the organisation initially covered East Brighton, it now delivered food across Brighton and Hove because of extent of the need.

Four lunch clubs also started deliveries to those who had been attending before the pandemic restrictions.

The council’s contracted community meals service ended in 2016 after a review but, since then, more people needed the service because they had to isolate or stay at home.

• READ MORE: 'I used to go days without food' - food charity helps thousands during lockdown

There were also more people living in food poverty, the report said, adding: “Most clients receiving this support are unable to afford to pay for this service.

“Brighton and Hove Food Partnership is currently undertaking a review of delivered community meals.

“Nationally, 1.3 million people over the age of 65 are malnourished.

“National food and farming organisation Sustain recommends that one of the steps that local authorities can take to reduce food poverty is to support and enhance meals-on-wheels provision.

“There is an opportunity to use food provision to link isolated adults to other services and avert escalating health and social care costs through early intervention.”

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