Community cafe awarded £2,000 funding

Newtown Community Café has been awarded £2,000 to help it provide affordable and nutritious meals to more people in the town.

The organisation is one of 13 community groups across Powys to receive funding in the first round of Powys County Council’s Food Aid Grant.

The café uses surplus food to prepare affordable meals for the community, with its work particularly aimed at supporting people experiencing social isolation.

The £2,000 grant will help provide a more reliable supply of food, allowing the café to support more people while continuing to provide healthy, freshly prepared meals.

The council’s Food Aid Grant is aimed at voluntary and not-for-profit organisations working to tackle poverty and improve access to affordable food.

Funding can support food banks and meal schemes as well as longer-term projects including community food growing and distribution initiatives.

Projects must benefit people living in Powys and demonstrate how they are addressing local needs, reducing inequalities and creating a longer-term impact.

The first funding round closed in June, with grants awarded to 13 organisations. Other successful projects include the Taj Mahal Community Hub in Machynlleth, The Welfare Ystradgynlais and Powys Men’s Circle.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader of Powys County Council and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: “Voluntary organisations and charities do invaluable work to support communities across Powys. I’m thrilled that we have been able to support these organisations to provide affordable food to local people.

“There are still two rounds of funding open, so I would encourage voluntary and not-for-profit organisations working to tackle food poverty in Powys to consider applying.”

Further rounds of the Food Aid Grant remain open to eligible organisations working to tackle food poverty across the county.

More information and details on how to apply are available through the Powys County Council website.