A report on how communities have pulled together to support people facing food poverty and the next steps needed to tackle the issue will go before Bath & North East Somerset Council on January 21.

The report highlights that food insecurity, where people do not have the means to reliably meet their food needs, is a growing national issue which increasingly affects residents in Bath and North East Somerset.

The report by the council's Public Health team on behalf of the B&NES Food Poverty Steering Group notes that the Covid pandemic has made inequalities worse for people who already had insufficient income or have experienced trauma including job losses, bereavement or poor health.

The report will go before a Special Council meeting on January 21 at 6.30pm which can be viewed on the council's YouTube channel

Established in March 2020, The Food Poverty Steering Group brings together over 60 partners from across B&NES including St John's Foundation, 3SG, food support initiatives, community groups, voluntary and statutory services and teams from across the council. Together, they are working to an Action Plan for B&NES to tackle food insecurity and its root causes.

An active member of that the group, the council's welfare support team, awarded grants totalling over £21,000 for food support from April to September 2020. White goods to the value of £45,000 were also provided to residents and 550 referrals made to foodbanks.

One example of the community-led support is FOOD (Food On Our Doorstep) Clubs set up in Keynsham and St Martin's (Bath) Children's Centres and Radstock Library that provide quality, low cost food to residents facing food poverty. The clubs are run as a partnership programme by charities Family Action, FareShare SW, Bath & North East Somerset Council's Bright Start Children's Centres and Radstock Library.

The clubs cost £1 a year and enable members to purchase a bag of high-quality food items every week worth around £15 for £3.50 and have saved more than £18,000 for families and provided 1,577 bags of shopping since the clubs began in September.

Councillor Rob Appleyard, cabinet member for Adult Services and Public Health said: "Many people in our area are struggling to put food on the table due to low incomes and difficult life experiences. This has been made worse by the Covid pandemic, but unfortunately in many cases will still be happening after lockdown. Communities and partners have pulled together to support residents who are most in need, and we need to continue this partnership effort to tackle food insecurity going forwards, so I Iook forward to considering the Action Plan update.

"There is lots of support available across Bath and North East Somerset from the Community Wellbeing Hub, Food Banks, and Food Pantries too, which help preserve people's dignity when they are facing hunger. The FOOD clubs are an excellent initiative that are making a real difference for people struggling to feed their families. Well done to all the staff and volunteers involved."

The council is extending its free school meal voucher scheme to cover the February school holidays. The scheme provides supermarket vouchers worth £20 to families whose children are eligible for free school meals, including parents who receive free childcare for two-year-olds where benefits are such that they would have been entitled to free school meals.

Anyone finding it hard to stay afloat on their food budget can contact their nearest FOOD Club or Pantry for an affordable way to supplement a weekly shop. Details can be found on the BANES Foodfinder at www.banesfoodfinder.org.uk/listing/food-clubs-pantries

Details of food banks across BANES are also on that link and they can tell you how to access a voucher to meet more urgent need.

Anyone in need of support around food, money, debt, mental health, housing or employment is encouraged to contact the Community Wellbeing Hub, by calling 0300 247 0050 or email at [email protected], where you will be connected to a wide range of support under one roof.

Alternatively, the Welfare Support team can offer short-term, financial crisis support and are contactable on 01225 477 277 or email at [email protected].

A searchable and comprehensive online listing of a wide range of community support across BANES can be found on the One Big Database at www.bathnes1bd.org.uk