Hampshire County Council has set aside £1.3 million from its Household Support Fund to distribute to local projects and initiatives supporting residents in food and energy poverty. Of that amount, £800,000 will be for local projects, while the balance of £500,000 is open to applications from organisations supporting vulnerable residents county-wide. The first round of applications is now open and closes on Friday 23 June. Further application windows will open this Autumn and in Spring 2024.
Maria Miller MP for Basingstoke said, “Community organisations throughout Hampshire can apply for grants to help ease the cost-of-living in their local area. Local organisations across Basingstoke play an important role in enhancing the quality of life for residents, and it’s great that Hampshire County Council continue to provide the necessary resources to make a meaningful difference where the cost-of-living increases have hit the hardest”.
More than 140 organisations have received community grants from the Household Support Fund in the past year, supporting a wide range of projects including food vouchers for families across Hampshire, in refuges and temporary accommodation, via a £25,500 grant to Stop Domestic Abuse Hampshire.
Maria added, “For more information on the Household Support Fund applicants should visit Hampshire County Council's www.connect4communities.org, which covers both the Household Support Fund and the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food programme. Applications will be accepted until Friday 23 June when a panel will review the submissions and contact successful organisations directly".