Newsroom Archive

A wide range of schemes, from winter vouchers to breakfast parcels for children and financial support, have been helping families in need.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Council has been working to support families across the borough. 

As Christmas approaches, the Council is again appealing to residents to get in touch and find out how they can benefit from support schemes.

Over 8,200 families in the borough, who are registered for free school meals or early year pupil premium benefits, as well as care leavers, have recently received winter voucher support, worth £30 per child, to help them cope with their food costs over the two-week Christmas holiday.

Families and care leavers can use the voucher at a range of local supermarkets or shop online at a number of them.  

The Council is also supporting children in care and care leavers in a number of ways during the festive season - such as with a Christmas gift allowance to their foster carers, referring them to Christmas Smile for support with gifts, providing Christmas jumpers, Christmas hampers and a Christmas dinner for 16/17 year olds, who live in independent housing with support and for care leavers, 18 and older, living alone)

The winter vouchers and support to children in care and care leavers complement other help for families that the Council will continue to fund over the Christmas holidays.  

This includes free breakfast boxes, containing breakfast items for five days for children on free school meals.  

This scheme is being delivered in partnership with 11 community partners as well as with Town and Parish Councils across the borough, with almost 100,000 breakfasts provided since June this year. 

It will continue throughout Christmas as well as into Easter 2021. 

Ahead of the Christmas holiday, a GoFundMe initiative, supported with donations from local people, has helped raise more than £3,500 to include added extras to the breakfast parcels, such as extra fruit and baked beans, ingredients to make pancakes or children’s activity packs.

To find out more about this scheme, go to www.telford.gov.uk/breakfast

Working in partnership with schools and children’s services, the Council has recently launched a new project to help keep the borough’s children warm this winter.

Schools across the borough have told the Council that increasingly more children are arriving at school without a winter coat and that this is not from personal choice, they just do not have one. 

Schools and Children’s Services who are working with any children or families that this applies to, are currently being asked to make referrals directly to the Council. 

Hundreds of coats will be delivered to families and the Council will be continuing this project in the New Year, to ensure as many children as possible benefit from it. 

To deliver the coats to children who need them, the Council is working with Councillor Paul Watling, Councillor Kelly Middleton (who initiated the School Uniform project this year) and The Anstice Community Trust.  

Throughout the pandemic, the Council has also been working closely with Telford Crisis Support. 

So far this year, the service has provided over 80,000 meals to those in need in Telford and Wrekin and has achieved this also with the help of the Interfaith Council. 

As Christmas 2020 is going to be like no other, Telford Crisis Support is prepared to help. 

The Foodbank will be delivering Christmas Food Parcels across the borough and has recently launched a new Baby and Toddler Bank, providing, at no cost, much-needed items (such as baby cloths, toiletries, nappies) to families in need.

To find out more about the service or to donate to support them – go to

http://telfordcrisissupport.org.uk 

All throughout the pandemic, the Council’s Community Support Line (01952 382030, open weekdays 9am-5pm) has been helping residents unable to rely on family, friends or other support networks to meet their essential needs for their health and well-being,

Together with its volunteers, the Council has been offering help with collecting prescriptions, food or just having a chat with those who are feeling particularly isolated during these challenging times.  

So far, over 7,400 calls have been managed by the Council’s support line. 

During the festive season, the Community Support line will close at 12pm on 24 December and re-open on the 4 January (9am – 5pm , Monday to Friday)

Residents requiring support with food parcels, gas and electric and crisis applications are asked to call the Crisis Support Line , 01952 380400 – open on the 30 and 31 December, 9am – 5pm.

To ensure residents can access the information they need on support schemes, the Council has created a dedicated website, grouping all the support projects together, at www.telford.gov.uk/coronavirus/support 

Additional support scheme for residents include Council Tax reduction, Test and Trace support payments, Emergency Welfare Assistance (for anyone unable to afford essentials, such as food or heating) or Telford Job Box (that has already supported over 1,000 work seekers during pandemic). 

Councillor Paul Watling, Cabinet Member for Co-operative Communities, Engagement and Partnerships, said: “We continue to live in uncertain times and we know there are many residents and families in our borough that need our support now, more than ever.

“Through a range of services throughout the year as well as with support from many community partners and Town and Parish Councils, our Council has been helping many such families in our borough and will continue to do so next year as well, as we recognise many of them will continue to be impacted by the pandemic.

“Please visit www.telford.gov.uk/coronavirus/support where you will find, in one place, a number of schemes you can access – if you are struggling financially or if you need support during the pandemic.

Photo taken earlier this year from the distribution of breakfast parcels from Arleston Community Centre for children eligible for free school meals