We commission services to help residents to be resilient and give information and support on:
- Accessing benefits.
- Debt.
- Housing.
- Employment.
This is so people who have problems can get help at an early stage. Quality advice, guidance and signposting empowers people to find new ways to manage issues they face. It helps to avoid personal costs and costs to services that can occur, if people end up in crisis.
Our vision is to prevent and reduce poverty and financial exclusion. To do this, we will provide quality, joined up advice and information services to residents. This will help them to contribute to and be part of the social and economic life of the borough.
Advice and Tackling Poverty Grant
The grant reflects:
- The advice objectives.
- Our Anti Poverty Action Plan.
- Our Vision to be the Best Borough in the North.
Current grant holders
There was an open grant round, which was handled by the Community Foundation for Calderdale. After this, awards were made to the groups below for three year projects from April 2024 to 2027:
St Augustine's Centre
To deliver the 'Advice Drop In' for anyone who seeks sanctuary and includes follow up case work.
- Award amount: £54,900.
- Website: St Augustine's Centre
Noah's Ark
To support the delivery of:
- money and debt advice;
- maximise income and minimise spend;
- financial capability training;
- food support;
- small grants;
- free carpets;
- and more.
Further information:
- Award amount: £60,000.
- Website: Noah's Ark Centre
Citizens Advice Calderdale
To deliver more advisor hours on the freephone and weekly in person drop ins.
- Supports clients with the in-house debt team;
- energy caseworkers;
- and other specialist advocacy services as needed.
Further information:
- Award amount: £54,277
- Website: Citizens Advice Calderdale
Disability Support Calderdale
To deliver:
- Drop-in meetings at Todmorden Health Centre, Todmorden Food Drop-In and Hebden Bridge.
- Daily one-to-one meetings for people who are disabled or have long-term health conditions.
Further information:
- Award amount: £20,412
- Website: Disability Support Calderdale
Healthy Minds
To support the delivery of the 'Healthy Minds Welfare Rights Service', which gives welfare advice support. This is for people living and/or working in Calderdale who are financially vulnerable due to poor mental health.
- Award amount: £20,411
- Website: Healthy Minds Calderdale
Our advice and anti poverty objectives
We will achieve our vision as we promote financial resilience through:
- Effective partnerships.
- Coordination.
- Advice.
- Support for communities to achieve our ambitions.
Objective 1. To help people find and stay in employment.
Outcomes. Advice services:
- Are responsive to changing needs.
- Make sure that people access the right advice to develop their skills and become more employable.
- Make sure there is access to 'in work benefits' to help support the move into work.
Objective 2. To make sure that people's rights are protected. Also, to make sure that the advice needs of the most vulnerable in society are met.
Outcomes. Advice services:
- Support people who seek advice through access to preventative support at the right place and time. This is done by joining up advice across agencies to get the best outcome for a person.
- Work to raise digital equality.
- Work to raise health equality.
Objective 3. Effective partnerships are supported and developed to provide quality, co-ordinated advice services to help people become more financially resilient.
Outcomes:
- Reduced demand for services overall.
- Increased sharing of knowledge, skills and resources across all those that provide information and advice services.
- Greater working together in the third sector to provide support for networks and to build strategic partnerships.
- Successful delivery of partnership projects.
Contact us
For more details, please email: advicegrants@calderdale.gov.uk.