£10K cash boost from supermarket for Grantham Families in Need

Volunteers at Grantham Poverty Concern were celebrating following them being awarded a grant of £10,000 by the Morrisons Foundation.

The donation from the charitable arm of the supermarket will enable the charity to continue to provide fresh produce, meals and essential items to people suffering hardship and homeless in Grantham and the surrounding area.

Grantham Poverty Concern is run entirely through volunteers and relies on the support of donors and the goodwill of local people, as Chris Thomas, Grantham Poverty Concern Trustee explains: “We operate 7-days a week, all volunteers, no paid staff, purely donation driven, with no funding, providing hot meals for those on the margins of our society.  We also offer benefit advice, pastoral care but mainly a caring friend to the many who do not have anybody.” 

“During COVID we have seen a huge escalation in the call for our support for families, increasing from one family needing our help to over 40.  Thanks to the grant from the Morrisons Foundation, we will be able to open a new arm of our charity to offer ongoing extra support to families in a safe welcoming environment, while still being able to continue to provide hot food 7-days a week to our established clients who rely on our service.” 

“Grantham Poverty Concern are truly humbled by the support shown by Morrisons and our local store Community Champion Sue Healey over the last 20 months. This donation will enable us to continue the much needed Charity work in our community for those who are in need at this time”

Sue Healey, Community Champion and the Morrisons store in Grantham presented the donation to the charity, saying: “I’m absolutely over the moon to be able to help Grantham Poverty Concern continue to support the most in need in our community.  Their fantastic work already makes a huge difference to so many people and now, thanks to our Foundation, even more families in need will receive the support they desperately need.  I’m very proud to present this donation to such a worthy cause.”

The Morrisons Foundation was set up by Morrisons supermarket in 2015 and awards grants for charity projects that help improve people’s lives.  Since launching, over £34 million has been donated to hundreds of charities across England, Scotland and Wales.

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Chris Thomas and Esther Maddison receiving the grant of £10,000 from the Morrisons Foundation in support of Grantham Poverty Concern

Grantham & District Poverty Concern Group was formed in 2001 by Ruby Stuckey MBE to support vulnerable members of the local community and its aims continue to be the relief of both poverty and homelessness.

It incorporates the Grantham Passage (“The Passage”) which offers through various churches in Grantham seven days a week a free, safe and non-judgmental meeting place, company, hot food and drink, assistance with access to services, responsible agencies and other community support.

It maintains an ‘open door’ policy whereby assistance is given, after inquiry, to any applicant accepted as otherwise destitute or in need of support.