Local Support available for families

Please reach out to us if you are in need of support of any kind. We are here to talk through your situation and offer guidance where we can. We are also able to refer you to a number of agencies who can offer extra support. All conversations will remain confidential. 

Gosport Trash café

http://trashcafe.com/ 

The Real Junk Food Project is an environmental organisation who are tackling food waste. They collect ‘food waste’ that is still fit for human consumption from various places and offer it to ANYONE & EVERYONE in their cafes or shopping boutiques.

Please visit their website for more information.

Jacobs Well

Providing food for their foodbank and free weekly packed lunches in the summer holidays for up to 30 families referred via the Gosport Food partnership.

https://jacobswell.charity/

Community Pantry 

What is a community pantry? a Pantry is a 'get more for less' - it is to help families budgets go further - Please click on the link to view their flyer - Flyer

HAF

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme is a government sponsored scheme offering enriching activities and healthy meals to children from reception to year 11 during the Easter, Summer, and Christmas school holidays. Hampshire County Council and the Isle of Wight Council deliver it through the Connect4Communities programme. There are a number of schemes avaible in the local area - use the following link to find a group near you. Find a service.  

St Johns host a HAF scheme during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays. You can book here - BOOK HERE - and we share flyers in our newsletter prior to the holidays.

The Environment Centre

The Environment Centre has seen a more than 50 per cent increase in demand for affordable warmth support over the last two years, and has been funded to continue and enhance this by providing:

• direct guidance and support to households on a range of energy-related topics, either remotely or face to face,
• grants to 150 households on means-tested benefits or low income and vulnerable for essential heating and hot water works, or for practical household items to reduce energy or help them to keep warm.

If you feel you could benefit from this service, please contact the Environment Centre (tEC) by phoning 0800 804 8601 or emailing staywarm@environmentcentre.com

Citizens Advice

Funding has been awarded to Citizens Advice to provide support to the most vulnerable households with their fuel costs and ensure advice is provided to people in need contacting this scheme. Follow the link below to see a map with the list of Citizens Advice offices in Hampshire, where you can apply for support with fuel costs.

https://citahants.org/advice/#local-ca-offices

Acts of Kindness

Acts of Kindness Community (Solent) will use the funding for food to maintain their foodbank stocks to supply fresh, good quality food and expand their offering; also to be able to offer a delivered food shop in cases of severe hardship and complex need.  They also want to offer essential white goods, basic household items and large area rugs, which will help 24 households in need per week until March 2024. 

Free School Meals

Your child may be entitled to free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.

Check if they are eligible by applying online - Apply here

If your child receives Free School Meals, the school will receive funding called Pupil Premium Funding. This funding allows us to help children in reciept of this funding to go on school trips and residentials, and with other chargeable expenses such as after school clubs. Please talk to us if you are struggling with paying for school meals, trips or other activities.