Over £1.3m awarded in grants to support Welsh communities through the cost of living crisis

Community Foundation Wales has awarded over £1.3m in grants to charities, community groups and organisations supporting those most affected by the cost of living crisis.

Community Foundation Wales has released a detailed impact report on its “Our Communities Together” fund which was created in partnership with Newsquest to address the challenges posed by the cost-of-living crisis.

The report, published today, details how the grants given out have enabled vital community initiatives, including food banks, warm hubs, mental health support programs, and financial guidance services. These projects have worked to address both immediate needs, such as access to essential supplies, and longer-term resilience through community cohesion and well-being efforts.

Community Foundation Wales first launched the Our Communities Together – a Cost of Living Crisis Fund in February 2023, with an appeal that was answered with public donations as well as generous contributions from Steve Morgan Foundation, NatWest, Waterloo Foundation, Moondance, Wind2, Dwr Cymru and Dragon Taxis.

Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice at Welsh Government, very quickly recognised the immediate and escalating need for groups supporting those most affected by the cost of living crisis across Wales and, on behalf of Welsh Government, made a gift of £1m to the fund.

As detailed in the report, 106 grants have been awarded from the fund, with 27% of grants awarded to projects located in the top 10% most deprived areas of Wales.

Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Wales said:

“When times are hard, Wales shows its true strength through how our communities come together.

Through the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve seen incredible resilience and collaboration as people have stepped up to support those most in need.

The Our Communities Together fund is a great example of what can be achieved when funders, donors, and grassroots groups join together to tackle challenges.

By working together, we’ve not only supported the most vulnerable but also shone a light on the critical role grassroots groups play in supporting and strengthening our local communities.”

Gavin Thompson, Editor of Newsquest said:

“It is a privilege in local newspapers to have a direct relationship with communities and through this appeal we have used that to get support to some of those most in need from the soaring cost of living.

It’s incredible to see that more than £1.3m has been allocated, more than 100 projects have received funding and projects involving more than 17,000 volunteers have made a difference, thanks to this appeal.

It is a reminder of the power of partnership working to improve lives across Wales.”

You can find out more here.

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