Councillors have approved a £1000 donation from the Belle Vale and Haley Green & Cradley South Community Forum to the Black Country Foodbank, supporting a vital charity who have been on the front-line supporting residents in Halesowen during Coronavirus.

The six ward Councillors who approved the donation of funds, usually granted to local groups for different activities and projects in the community, made the donation following the suggestion of local campaigner, Daniel Bevan.

Black Country Foodbank have been instrumental in the local response to Coronavirus, providing essential supplies to those who are self-isolating or struggling because of the pandemic. Working with their local hubs, including Lifecentral Church in Halesowen, they have been able to meet substantially increased demand as people found themselves unable to go to the shops as they shielded from the virus.

Working with Dudley Council, they have also helped with contingency plans should there be another peak of cases in the future, helping our area to be prepared for all eventualities. Daniel said:

“I am a regular attendee at the Community Forum meetings, and it occurred to me that the grants for Forum funding were not being submitted as many community groups could not conduct their regular activities.

"The Councillors were also conscious of this and I’m really pleased that they’ve taken the suggestion on board and made this donation.”

Cllr Simon Phipps added: “The Black Country Foodbank have done so much work throughout the pandemic, I know there will be many local residents who have depended on them and are very grateful for all of the work their staff and volunteers have done to help others.

“I had the opportunity to visit the Foodbank’s Headquarters in Brierley Hill to see first-hand what their amazing team does. This donation will go towards continuing to support those people who are finding themselves isolated because of coronavirus and those who are most in need of support.

“If there are any other local charities or community groups helping to support others at this time, I would urge them to enquire about funding from the Community Forum.”

Community Forum funding is still available despite no meetings taking place due to Covid-19. People can find out more about how to apply for funding at dudley.gov.uk.