Achieving for Children has confirmed that they have been able to approve all the proposals received from voluntary sector organisations as part of the Covid Winter Grant bid process.
The Council will be partnering with the following organisations to support vulnerable residents with winter pressures over the coming months:
• Thinking Works
Thinking Works provides vulnerable residents in the borough of Kingston upon Thames with fuel vouchers and emergency heating support.
• Kingston Vineyard and Growbaby
Kingston Vineyard and Growbaby work with families with a child/children between 0-5. They will provide baby food, formula and nappies, as well as food vouchers, referrals to the Good Food Co-op for fresh fruit and vegetables, small crisis loans and support with fuel vouchers.
• Kingston Carers’ Network
The Kingston Carers’ Network supports unpaid carers, who can be as young as 5, and their families, who are facing financial hardship and struggling with food and fuel poverty.
• Homestart Richmond, Kingston, Hounslow
Homestart provides emotional and practical support to families with children aged 0-5 years. These grants will support Home-Start families who are struggling financially and facing food, fuel poverty or who are struggling to meet their housing costs. This will give families quick access to financial support. Referrals for Home-Start support can be made via website.
• Migrant Advocacy Service
The Migrant Advocacy Service will be supporting vulnerable migrants throughout the borough. The organisation will be using the money to support families with food and utilities.
What to do if you are not part of the scheme but have identified a family who needs support?
The successful organisations will be working to support families and residents who are already known to them as well as new families who may need support this winter. The scheme is principally aimed at families with children but there is some scope to support others living in vulnerable situations as well.
If you are not taking part in the scheme and identify a family or individual who may need support please check that they comply with the following eligibility criteria:
The household must be resident of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
and one of the following must apply:
The household or individual has insufficient funds to access nutritional meals between now and March 2021
The household or individual has insufficient funds to be able to keep their home warm, electricity on and access to water for cooking
The household or individual has insufficient funds to be able to afford sanitary products, warm clothing, soap, blankets, boiler service/repair, access to equipment including fridges, freezers, ovens, etc.
The fund will prioritise support for food and utility payments but there will be some limited funding available for other winter essentials.
If you are satisfied regarding eligibility for support please follow the below referral process.
Referrals will only be accepted from voluntary or public sector organisations. They will not be accepted from residents directly.
Need
Who to contact
Help with fuel needs e.g. gas, electric, water or one off needs e.g. boiler breakdown
If a family has a young child under the age of five and needs support with baby food, formula and nappies, as well as food vouchers, referrals to the Good Food co-op for fresh fruit and vegetables, small crisis loans and support with fuel vouchers.
Lots of Kingston’s children, families and individuals are already being supported through the Covid Winter Grant Scheme:
• The grant was used to issue supermarket vouchers to 3,424 children over the Christmas school holiday period.
• 236 households supported with food vouchers, utility bills and other winter necessities since the beginning of December.
It is encouraging to see that this much-needed funding is already supporting vulnerable families through the winter months and we are pleased to see this support continuing.
