Funding agreed to help continue food pantries in Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Council is providing additional funding to help food pantries across the county to continue offering support to their local communities.
The council is to provide Rural Action Derbyshire (RAD) with £150,000 to ensure that the Affordable Food Network initiative can continue to run until March 2024.
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Communities’, Councillor Carol Hart said: “We have previously approved £300,000 to Rural Action Derbyshire to help create a sustainable alternative to food banks.
“This saw the Affordable Food Network initiative set up. This project focuses on building networks of community pantries that give people access to good quality, affordable and nutritious food.
“This additional pot of funding will allow this important project to continue while we look at the long term future of this work.”
There are seven established food pantries, with an additional five in development.
Current areas with access to a pantry include Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Northeast Derbyshire and Amber Valley.
Cllr Hart added: “Food banks are available across Derbyshire - however they are usually classed as an emergency provision and not designed to be used long-term. However food pantries offer a service that differs from food banks.
“They help to strengthen communities as well as improve families health and wellbeing.
“They also help improve household finances which allows families to meet other essential costs, support a healthy diet, tackle food waste and nurture a sense of dignity.”
The Affordable Food Network has seen positive local outcomes including:
• Reduced reliance and dependency on emergency food banks
• Improved self-esteem and mental wellbeing for households who can access affordable food without relying on a foodbank
• Improved self-reliance and community resilience by supporting households to help their budgets go further and reduce the risk of falling into debt and crisis
• Increased opportunities to provide community pantry customers with additional services which may include financial advice and/or healthy eating on a budget skills.
Food pantry memberships models vary but generally involve paying a small yearly membership fee plus a suggested donation towards the cost of the food each time you visit the pantry – resulting in, on average, a saving of £37 per shop.
More News From Amber Valley Info
| News Have you seen missing girl Megan From Ripley Have you seen Megan? The 15-year-old has been reported missing from her home in Ripley. read more | |
| A night at the museum for the 5th Dronfield Hilltop Cubs Great British Car Journey, the award-winning classic car museum in Ambergate, Derbyshire, hosted the pack for a very special read more | |
| Alfreton chapel with planning for redevelopment as two homes goes under the hammer The former Methodist chapel in the village of Westhouses near Alfreton is to go up for auction thi read more | |
| Love Sadler Gate Promises Blooming Good Time at Spring Market Love Sadler Gate, the collective of independent businesses in the iconic Derby Cathedral Quarter street, will be holdin read more | |
| Lord Burlington opens iconic Heage Windmill On Saturday around 120 guests welcomed Lord Burlington to Heage Windmill for the Official Opening of the mill following extensive repairs read more | |
The Amber Valley Info Noticeboard
| Cold Callers claiming to be working on behalf of Derbyshire County Council Policehave seen and increase in reports of 'cold callers' where people are claiming to be working on behal read more | |
| Subscriptions For Amber Valley Borough Councils 2024 Garden Waste Service Are Now Open The garden waste collection service is available to all residents in Amber Valley except for r read more | |
| Mobile networks are being improved in Ripley Mobile networks are being improved in Ripley boosting the speed, performance and coverage of mobile services in the area. read more | |
| Trent Barton Buses - Extension Of The £2 Single Fare Cap Trent Barton Buses have confirmed their participation in the extension of the £2 single fare cap until the end o read more | |
| Crich Tramway Village Looking For An Engineering Manager The successful candidate for this post will have excellent management skills gained whilst working in a practical workshop e read more | |
