The Salvation Army was awarded £100,000 to allocate to 40 Salvation Army corps and services in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK, helping to provide warm spaces, food, and baby supplies to low-income families. Here are some examples of how the funding has made a difference, so far: 

 

In the London Borough of Newham, 49% of children live in poverty and 48.3 households per 1,000 live in temporary accommodation. For more than two years, Salvation Army Officers have been supporting local families in this area through a Baby Bank in Stratford. 

 

In December, the Baby Bank was threatened with closure due to lack of funds, but with support from funders like us, it’s still open and providing a lifeline for many young families. The Baby Bank has now transitioned into a Nappy Bank and Baby Wardrobe in neighbouring East Ham - the Baby Wardrobe offers a much wider range of items, including pushchairs, cribs and pre-loved clothing, whereas previously, staff and volunteers simply packed items for families, which may or may not have been suitable.

 

Between January and March this year, The Salvation Army supported 96 families through the Nappy Bank and 123 through the Baby Wardrobe. At the most recent Baby Wardrobe event, they distributed 263 items of clothing and equipment.

The Salvation Army Foodbanks support people in a variety of difficult situations, including those who are unemployed, on low incomes, or waiting for benefits payments. 

 

The Salvation Army allocated £24,000 of our grant to some of the most accessed food banks across England, to restock food items that are so desperately needed. They have also been able to buy cleaning products, personal hygiene items and toilet rolls – items that we often take for granted, but when money is tight can become unaffordable. It was also important to purchase items to brighten people’s day; Scarborough Corps in Northeast England, for example, supported their food bank clients and 50 Ukrainian families with Easter eggs and cakes.

 

Having this capacity to buy supplies has been invaluable to The Salvation Army, who have seen clients double across some of their food banks.

 

 

In Northern Ireland, The Salvation Army allocated £5,000 across three of their family homelessness services in Belfast, one being the Thorndale Family Centre. The funding was used to provide welcome packs for families who had arrived in the area, giving them provisions to help them settle into their new accommodation. 

 

Throughout the winter months, The Salvation Army was able to support local communities by creating warm spaces for people to come and enjoy hot food, relax, and make friends.

 

£11,000 of the Crisis Response grant was allocated to fund warm spaces across England.

 

 

Alongside Community Food Store and Food Bank provision, many Salvation Army churches are providing a hot meal once a week to mitigate the adverse effects of spiralling living costs. Salvation Army Officers have seen that weekly meal clubs are an effective way of serving their communities, as they’re not simply providing hot meals but safe spaces, where people can discuss the challenges they’re facing, secure help, and form friendships. 

 

The Salvation Army allocated £25,500 to hot meal provision: £18,500 across corps in Scotland and £7,000 in England.

 

Every Tuesday, Greenock Corps in Scotland serves a hot meal as part of their Core Recovery Programme for people overcoming addiction. Between January and March 2023, staff and volunteers served over 100 meals. The corps also provides emergency food provision in the community. Since the start of 2023 they supplied 60 emergency food parcels for people who were in crisis.

 

It’s been a privilege to support The Salvation Army’s incredible work so far, and we anticipate that many more people will benefit from their support over the next six months.