Help and Advice on Everything Food in Cornwall

Posted on: 23rd December 2020

Help and advice on everything Food in Cornwall – whether you are not sure how to afford the next meal, want help to eat more healthily, or cannot get out to shop – it is all here! Cornwall Council can also help if debts are getting out of hand.

My dining room becomes a sorting station for donations to Foodbank and Street Food Project every Saturday but at the moment my spare room has become additional storage space as the projects are busy processing Christmas Gifts. It will go in, as they need stuff, in the New Year, when normally people struggle to give.

Cornwall Council is supporting communities across Cornwall to ensure no one goes hungry this Christmas.

A new interactive map has been launched showing all emergency food support in towns and villages throughout Cornwall where residents in need can access food during the festive period.

The new Help with Food map was created in partnership with community organisations and is online now at Let’s Talk Cornwall https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/help-with-food.

The initiative is part of the council’s crisis help package this winter, which includes mounting a food voucher scheme for more than 14,300 schoolchildren and college students, giving cash injections to voluntary food organisations through its Emergency Food Assistance Fund and offering free advice to residents on debt relief, benefits support and keeping warm and well.

The latest feedback from foodbanks and community crisis groups in Cornwall shows a sharp increase in demand in the lead-up to Christmas – higher than in previous years.

For many people it is the first time they have needed to access their community food banks for help.

Cllr Hannaford standing in County Hall’s community orchard

Edwina Hannaford, Cornwall’s Portfolio Holder for climate change and neighbourhoods, said: “We know that during the pandemic people who have never had to ask for help before are finding themselves in a position where they need support. We want to let anyone in this position know that help is at hand, and please don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.

“We have been working hard with community organisations to develop our Help with Food map and the energy and passion from everyone has been outstanding.

“We want to thank all the voluntary groups, foodbanks and many volunteers who are helping residents with accessing food, as well as to everyone who has donated food to our community food banks.”

The Council provides a wide range of support and advice on food help, winter fuel, debt management and housing costs on its website.

The Help with Food page on the Cornwall Council website includes information on supermarket deliveries if you are elderly or vulnerable, how to contact volunteers for help with shopping, how to pay for food and accessing money if you have to stay at home, and help for families eligible for food vouchers. If you need assistance please visit Do you need a helping hand? – Cornwall Council.

Volunteer Cornwall has 3,600 volunteers throughout Cornwall who can help with access to food, signposting to debt advice, general health and wellbeing support and information local activity and social groups. Please email requestforhelp@volunteercornwall.org.uk or phone 01872 266988.

Other crisis help is available on the council website by going here for benefits support, council tax support and debt advice, and for winter wellbeing here.

You can also get in touch with Cornwall Council on 0300 1231118 or email covid19@cornwall.gov.uk.

Community support groups which are not featured on the Help with Food map but would like to be can also get in touch on the same email and phone number.

Parents across Cornwall are also being reminded to check if they are eligible for the Healthy Start scheme.

With Healthy Start, families receive free vouchers every week to spend on milk, fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses, and infant formula milk. Children can also get free vitamins.

Sally Hawken, Portfolio Holder for children, wellbeing and public health, said: “The number of families eligible for Healthy Start vouchers has increased by approximately 30% through the pandemic but take up of the scheme in Cornwall does not yet reflect that, with about half of eligible families currently claiming the voucher for fruit and veg and just 2% of those that are eligible collecting the vitamins.

“We encourage parents to check if they are eligible for the Healthy Start scheme.”

Families who need to know more information can discover more by discussing with their midwife, health visitor, local family hub or online here.