Thousands of families in Telford receive financial support due to pandemic
Thousands of families across Telford have received financial support due to the pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a council has said.
A wide range of schemes, from winter vouchers to breakfast parcels for children, have been run by Telford & Wrekin Council to help families in need throughout the year.
More than 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 vouchers at a range of supermarkets or shop online.
The council is also supporting children in care and care leavers with a Christmas gift allowance.
Another scheme the authority is funding over the Christmas holidays 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.
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."
For more information on the support available, visit telford.gov.uk/coronavirus/support
