The UK is currently going through a cost of living crisis, with the most vulnerable being hit the hardest. With food and energy bills becoming more expensive, families across Calderdale are facing increased financial pressure. Calder Community Cares is looking at ways we can support anyone struggling to pay their bills, put food on the table or keep their home warm.

The cost of living crisis

Families in Calderdale were already feeling the squeeze before the recent increase in fuel prices. The latest government statistics are from 2019, and at that point around 15,700 households were in fuel poverty. Since 2019, gas prices have risen by as much as 1,000 percent, making the situation significantly worse.

It’s not just energy, of course. Around 85 percent of Britons have noticed an increase in the price of groceries, and over 3,000 people in Calderdale are reliant on monthly food support. Unfortunately, not enough is being done to tackle this crisis, and without action from the government we have to do what we can to help each other.

We want to make it clear: if you are struggling this winter, it is not your fault. While cutting back on household expenses is always a good idea if you can, it’s clear that is not enough given the current crisis. Even Martin Lewis, the founder of Money Saving Expert, has said: “There is no cutting back. You could put me into one of those households and do every trick in the book and I wouldn’t even get close to scratching the sides of what is needed.”

What we’re doing

Tackling the cost of living crisis is not an easy task, and we’re just one organisation! However, we will be doing whatever we can to try to help our families in Calderdale as much as possible. We have developed a free resource that we are calling the Kindness Directory. This is a full map and listing of all the places in the Upper Calder Valley were are you are able find your local warm spaces, free coffee mornings or warm meals. This is a ever-developing directory so please get in touch if you would like to add to to it.

Sharing knowledge

Information about the extent of the cost of living crisis, as well as any tips on how to deal with it, will go a long way towards finding solutions. We will be collating information about local organisations who are offering support so we can signpost more effectively for those in need. We will also be providing a bank of tips, guides and professional factsheets to share.

Exploring new ideas

FUND NOW CLOSED (previously ranged from £500 for smaller venues to £750 to larger), but watch this space for new funding.

Continuing to support the community

Of course, through all this we will be continuing to support our local community, from socials to Acts of Kindness, to make as big an impact in the community as we can. We want to make sure that we are able to fund as many local impactful projects as we can.