Voluntary sector receives six-figure sum to continue providing emergency relief to Peterborough families in financial crisis

The Peterborough Community Assistance Scheme (PCAS) has received £261,500 from Peterborough City Council to continue assisting approximately 350 clients per month.

The scheme is managed through the council but delivered through a network of local charities.

Clients are provided with information, advice and guidance and can also receive a range of services to help support them through a crisis situation.

This might include:

.Food parcels via the network of foodbanks

. Basic white goods and electrical items

. Basic furniture via Carezone

. Low value energy card payments.

During 2015/16, until the end of January, the PCAS has supported approximately 3,000 clients who have been in financial crisis.

Alongside information and advice, the scheme has also provided:

. 1,744 clients with food via the food bank

. 441 clients with furniture and clothing

. 226 beds

. 63 microwave/kettle/toaster packs

. 175 energy card payments

. 161 white goods (fridge/freezer or washing machine).

Organisation/Amount received/Activity

Kingsgate Community Church - £82,500 - Foodbanks/Carezone management, staffing and running costs, beds and basic electrical items for PCAS

clients and rental contribution to foodbank warehouse.

Rainbow Savers Credit Union - £39,000 - Staff and operating costs for running the Credit Union in Peterborough.

Disability Peterborough - £22,500 - Staffing and running costs to enable the organisation to provide information, advice and guidance to users.

Age UK - £22,500 - Staffing and running costs to enable the organisation to provide information, advice and guidance to users.

MIND - £22,500 - Staffing and running costs to enable the organisation to provide information, advice and guidance to users.

Recycled white goods & energy card top ups - £22,500 - Recycled basic white goods and energy card top ups of £15 per client – maximum of two a year.

PCVS - £30,000 - Staffing and running costs to enable the organisation to provide information, advice and guidance to users.

YMCA - £20,000 - Staffing and running costs to enable the organisation to provide support for unemployed people to get back to work i.e. job clubs, CV writing and interview skills.

The scheme had been previously funded via a government grant of approximately £800,000. This funding arrangement ceased in March 2015 and the grant was subsumed within the overall Revenue Support Grant offered to local authorities.

However, at the time this happened, the Revenue Support Grant was reduced overall.