INITIATIVES bringing people together and helping to fight the cost of living crisis in Salisbury have been given a cash boost. 

More than £33,000 has been dished out to charities and voluntary groups across Wiltshire, including The Pantry Partnership and St Michael’s Community Centre in Salisbury.

Anchor Butter has joined forces with UK Community Foundations, the umbrella organisation of which Wiltshire Community Foundation is a member, and donated £100,000 to set up the Anchor Community Connection Fund.

The Pantry Partnership has been awarded £5,000 to help support families struggling with the cost of living crisis.

Director Fiona Ollerhead said the money will help support several projects including regular shared meals for Ukrainian refugees to help keep them connected with their culture; enable volunteers to cook meals using donated food to be shared with families and ‘Cook and Eat sessions’; and a GP referral service for older, isolated or recently bereaved people, which helps them make new friends and learn useful skills.

In thanking the foundation for the grant Ms Ollerhead added: “As well as those receiving support, we have 35 volunteers, many of whom are older people who benefit from the social interaction and opportunity to contribute to their local community.”

St Michael’s Community Centre in Bemerton Heath has been awarded £3,000 to upgrade its kitchens so that it can meet the demand for the low costs meals it serves in its Community Café.

Fundraising co-ordinator Howard Tranter said: “We see the growing need in the community for families which consist of many single-parent families who can’t work and exist on benefits."

“Given the rising cost of living and especially increased food prices we know there is a need for affordable healthy meals to help those in poverty," he added. 

The grant will help towards installing new, more hygienic, kitchen surfaces and buying a commercial dishwasher for the kitchen, which also provides affordable meals for a lunch club every Thursday for older people.

Centre volunteers also run a community fridge, which supplies fresh fruit and vegetables donated by supermarkets and community gardens.

Wiltshire Community Foundation, alongside two other foundations, has been selected to distribute these funds to support groups who use food to bring people together and strengthen local connections.

Anchor spokesman Stuart Ibberson said: “Through the partnership, we aim to spread a bit of food positivity in neighbourhoods across the nation.”

Wiltshire Community Foundation joint chief executive Fiona Oliver added: “In the midst of the current crisis, access to healthy food as well as support, advice and companionship have never been more important so we are thankful that Anchor has chosen to do this.”