Issue - items at meetings - Covid-19 Emergency Food Provision - Update

Report of the Interim Executive Director for Housing, Neighbourhoods & Communities.

RESOLVED:

(1)             That the exceptional work of the projects in the emergency food network and by Brighton & Hove Food Partnership be noted; and

(2)             That the Urgency Decision taken by the Chief Executive (attached as Appendix 4) to commit funding of £124,500 as outlined in paragraph 3.9 of the report be noted.

13.1         The Head of Communities & Equality introduced the report which provided an update on emergency food provision in the city during the Covid-19 health crisis. She noted that the council had been working closely with the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership and had ensured that no-one was going hungry in the city with around 4,000 people being supported. She also noted that it was important to continue to support people during the transition period to enable them to get back into employment and gain an income.

13.2         The Committee welcomed the report and noted that the work had provided a real life-line for people during the pandemic. Local communities had responded, and it was important to learn from those that had been successful and to ensure that level of community support remained going forward into the recovery phase and beyond. There were a number of excellent initiatives that could be supported and taken up in other areas. The Committee recognised that it would be important to consider how volunteers could be sustained and encouraged to continue to support their local communities and that may mean working with local businesses to ensure voluntary work was recognised.

13.3         RESOLVED:

(1)         That the exceptional work of the projects in the emergency food network and by Brighton & Hove Food Partnership be noted; and

(2)         That the Urgency Decision taken by the Chief Executive (attached as Appendix 4) to commit funding of £124,500 as outlined in paragraph 3.9 of the report be noted.