Minutes:
The Community Development Worker delivered a verbal presentation outlining the challenges faced by food banks in the district in the context of consistently growing demand and decreasing frequency and quality of donations.
In a meeting of food providers, it was suggested that East Devon DC could help by networking, and sharing resources, ideas and good practice, and the Council tries to do this in the food provider meetings. The Community Development Worker outlined at length recommendations for how the Council might support food providers, and how the food providers might access alternative sources of donations.
Discussion included the following points:
· A Member raised that there is a grant which is available from the Prince of Wales’ Charitable Funds for white goods, and suggested this is something the Community Development Worker might look into.
· It was felt that more publicity about the surge in demand could be helpful.
· The removal of best before dates on loose fruit and veg has meant that less of it is available for food banks and what is available is on the edge of rotting, so there is a supply problem.
· Exeter Food Action does extraordinary work as a logistics hub in distributing food, with a huge network and knowledge of how to disperse food quickly. However there is a focus on trying to bypass Exeter Food Action, partly to reduce food miles, and to get food more directly to where it needs to be within the district.
· Funding to tackle poverty situations was considered at the last Community Grant Panel meeting and a Member was particularly interested in a bid from Project Food in Axminster which involved working in connection in with a local farmer. The Member hoped this could be replicated elsewhere in the district.
· A press release is going out highlighting that Community Grant funding is still available and informing people of how they can apply.
· The Community Development Worker stated that she regularly asks the food providers for referrals to the Financial Resilience Team with a view to helping people with the root causes of poverty. She commented that food providers are of the view that that the biggest cause of food poverty is Universal Credit.
· The Service Lead – Revenues and Benefits expressed that data from the Social Resilience (Poverty) Dashboard highlights some of underlying issues that are not directly linked to Universal Credit, although some people do miss out on payments due to difficulty navigating the benefits system.
· Budgeting is identified as a significant issue and a meeting is arranged with the new Chief Executive of Citizens Advice to look at some work around budgeting tools, which may help. An update on this could be brought to a future meeting of the Working Panel.
· An update on the Poverty Action Plan will be brought to the next meeting.
The Strategic Lead - Housing, Health and Environment remarked on the joined up way the Council is working to support vulnerable people in our communities, commenting that this is a Council that cares. He added that he will bring an update to the Working Panel on the work that the Council is doing around winter pressures.
The Chair thanked the Community Development Officer for her update and Members agreed that a report encapsulating the recommendations will be brought to Cabinet on 4January 2023.