Dear Parent/Guardian,
I am writing to inform you of the “Poverty Support Fund” administered through the Bolster Community Group. This fund is available to meet the needs of vulnerable families in our community and referral for assistance can be made through school. Please see further information below and if you wish to apply for support please don’t hesitate to make contact for online referral.
P Mc Donnell
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The Poverty Support Fund is accessible to all Family Support Hub partner agencies, trusted partners and health professionals and provides a responsive and flexible pathway for meeting identified needs across Newry and Mourne.
The Poverty Support Fund aims to provide support to meet the needs of the most vulnerable families struggling with poverty throughout Newry Mourne and Down area.
Support will be tailored to family circumstances based on current pressures, to include provision of essential items, furniture or white goods or address food, fuel and social, connectivity and digital poverty and will supplement existing outward referrals for financial advice, food banks or other community-based support.
Referral pathway: Access to the fund is either:
- Through a referral to the Family Support Hub or by completing an online “Request for Help Form” (available through school).
- Bolster Community will carry out a triage visit or call once referral form is received and we ask trusted partners who are making the referral to assess the need beforehand.
Criteria
- Families must be identified by a trusted partner as being financially in need due to the impact of covid, this may be because of furlough, debt accrued during covid, need for home-schooling equipment, job loss, increased costs etc, when making the referral to fund referrers should highlight how Covid has caused the financial pressure.
- Bolster Community can only support families within the old Newry and Mourne Council area.
- Families should not be receiving support from any other organisation for the same thing they are requesting from us e.g. if they have requested oil from SVP then we won’t be able to help with oil but could perhaps offer electric top up.
- Families cannot self-refer and referrer should have consent from them.
Costs Covered:
• Financial – to those on low income and at risk due to financial stress.
• Food – access to food (whether due to cost or availability) for those most in need.
• Connectivity – to those living alone or in rural and border areas that are likely to experience greater challenges in accessing services.