CAMBRIDGE City Council has offered to match public donations to Cambridge Sustainable Food and Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance’s “Cost of Food and Living Crisis Campaign”, up to a value of £10,000.

Cambridge Sustainable Food, with support from the council, recently launched a fundraising campaign in partnership with Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance to assist those organisations working on the frontline, supporting communities in Cambridge this winter.

A GoFundMe page was created in August, in a city-wide appeal to help raise funds for those in Cambridge hit the hardest by the cost of living crisis. The campaign aims to raise £10,000 by the end of September.

The money raised will be distributed via a range of community groups. It will be spent on a number of food initiatives, such as supporting the local food hubs, buying ingredients for those in need, funding cookery clubs and providing slow cookers, which are more energy and cost efficient.

Cllr Mairéad Healy, Executive Councillor for Equalities, Anti-Poverty and Wellbeing, said: “We know how hard the cost of living crisis is affecting many people in Cambridge, and in particular how tough it can be for households on low incomes to pay for food, as well as other costs of living including energy and housing costs. 

“We applaud the work of Cambridge Sustainable Food and the other community groups and partners in the Food Poverty Alliance who have dedicated their hard work and time to support those most in need through this campaign.

“My colleague, Cllr Alex Collis, Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice and Community Development, was actively involved in supporting the establishment of this campaign, and I am very pleased to announce this offer to use the council’s Anti-Poverty Responsive Budget to match public donations up to the campaign’s original goal of £10,000.

“I hope that other organisations, businesses and those residents who can afford to do so will also donate to the campaign, so more families can be supported.”

Sam Dyer MBE, Chief Executive of Cambridge Sustainable Food said: “This is fantastic news and a real boost to the campaign. Community food services across Cambridge are reporting increases in the numbers of people seeking help with food, often people who never expected to find themselves in this position and costs are only set to rise further. 

“We hope the city council’s donation will inspire others in the city to donate too and help to relieve more families from this hardship.”

Further support and advice on help with managing food costs is available on the city council’s website at cambridge.gov.uk/food-help