Aims/priorities:
Festive periods can be a lonely and painful time for some: there are fewer places to go and it can be a difficult time financially to provide food or put a meal on the table.
The council has a number of unused Aldi vouchers that it would, therefore, like to distribute to VCFSE groups and organisations to contribute toward providing Christmas community meals to address these issues. We are looking for organisations who are able to do one, or both, of the following:
- Provide free food and drink to members of the community, from all backgrounds, in a community setting (e.g. a community centre), with a specific focus on engaging people who are alone during the Christmas period (but not exclusively this group of people)
- Provide free meals, along with a befriending/chatting element, to community members from all backgrounds who are alone during the Christmas period and aren’t able to leave their home
Please also take note of the following:
- The vouchers must be spent at Aldi, and must be used predominantly for food and soft drinks. However, some of the funding can be used for items like decorations and crackers. They cannot be used for alcohol, gambling products (e.g. the lottery) or tobacco.
- You will need to keep hold of your receipts to prove spending totals.
- There is no additional funding (e.g. funding for room hire) available as part of this scheme.
- While the focus should be on engaging people who may be alone over Christmas, we do not expect these people to be the only ones you invite or involve.
- We are also open to receiving more innovative ideas, as long as they are in the spirit of the above.
- Those who propose to open/provide meals on Christmas day will be prioritised, and we are keen to support at least one project in each of the borough’s five townships. You will also be assessed on your proposed plans to reach and engage people who may be alone during the festive period, and how you may be able to help people overcome barriers to attend any events.
Who can apply:
VCFSE groups and organisations in the Rochdale Borough can apply.
Grant amount: Grants of up to £2,000 are available
Application process:
To apply to this fund, please complete the application form on the Rochdale Borough Council's website.
Please note:
- You can apply more than once, for example to host events in different areas, and as a consortium of partners if you wish.
- To avoid stigma, we encourage any promotion you do to focus on themes such as community, Christmas, festivities, and togetherness. We discourage any promotion that explicitly talks about or focusses on loneliness, isolation, and poverty.
- Subject to the success of this scheme and available resource, there may be future initiatives for other festive periods like Eid and Easter.
If successful, you will receive a letter confirming the outcome of your application and the expectations attached to the provision of vouchers.
Deadline: October 31st 2023.
Contact information:
If you have any questions, please contact festivefoodfund@rochdale.gov.uk.