Peterborough charity partnership set to support families in need

Peterborough Foodbank are pleased to announce a new partnership with Citizens Advice Peterborough to provide advice and support to Foodbank clients. A dedicated telephone advice service will be delivered by trained advisers at Citizens Advice Peterborough offering fast-track support to Foodbank clients. Advice will cover topics such as benefits issues, debt problems, budget and income maximisation support

Peterborough Foodbank provides free emergency food parcels to local families struggling financially via a referral process in co-ordination with other local support agencies. The Foodbank has seen a huge increase in the number of families needing support during the COVID pandemic as more people are experiencing loss of income, being on furlough or losing their job. Peterborough Foodbank has successfully secured funding for the new focused advice service which will start at the beginning of October this year. Foodbank clients will be contacted to see if they would benefit from additional support and a referral to Citizens Advice Peterborough will then be made.

Peterborough Foodbank and Citizens Advice Peterborough have worked closely together in the past and advisers at Citizens Advice Peterborough are already trained to issue foodbank vouchers to families in need. Juliet Welch, Foodbank Manager said: “Normally at the foodbank, we would sit and chat with people and signpost them to other agencies who can help deal with the underlying problem of why they have needed the food However, this has not during the COVID seen a shift in the types our support so being professional advice their crisis. We are really able to refer our clients for telephone support will be invaluable.”

Keith Jones, Chief at Citizens Advice Peterborough said: “This is a valuable new service dedicated to supporting people in the city currently facing food poverty. We have a good track record of successful working with Peterborough and this new service will really make a difference to people struggling to put food really difficult and challenging time.”

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Photo by RoseBox رز باکس on Unsplash