RESIDENTS struggling with rocketing bills are being promised help and support to keep warm and well-fed this winter.
Cllr Rachel Bishop-Firth, executive member for Equalities, Inclusion and Fighting Poverty, said the council was working with the Hardship Alliance to establish a network of warm banks, and ensure families who rely on free school meals have help during holidays.
They are also working to ensure essential goods are available, including resuable period products, blankets, and slow cookers.
As part of this, the old library in Wokingham’s Denmark Street is being used as a storage space, and volunteers are needed to help out with this.
“The demand on both council officers and the voluntary sector is huge. Queries and referrals to their services have increased dramatically,” Cllr Bishop-Firth said.
She added the council will continue to fund holiday-time free school meal support up to the May half-term holiday, and hoped to extend this.
“With the gap between spending on essential services and the council’s income, we will not be able to be able to continue providing these vouchers beyond May 2023 without help from the government,” she told the chamber.
“The autumn statement referred to a continuation of the Household Support Fund and we confirm what this means for Wokingham as soon as we are able.”
