Campaigners warn charities ‘cannot fill gap’ after council cuts ‘lifeline’ fund

10 February 2025 Claudia Lee

Campaigners are urging a council to reconsider its decision to cut a “lifeline” welfare fund that supports hundreds of low income families in the borough.

Bromley council’s Executive voted to withdraw funding for the Bromley Welfare Fund at a meeting on January 22.

The fund, which costs the council £250,000 annually and is financed through a government grant, currently helps 400 low-income families each year by providing essential household goods like cookers, beds and fridges.

Ray Nowak is a campaigner for Bromley Borough Foodbank – part of the Trussell Foodbank Network – which distributed more than 8,000 emergency food parcels across the borough last year.

Ms Nowak said: “We work on the front lines of these situations and see first-hand how the absence of basic household essentials quickly worsens a person’s quality of life.

“It always leads to further hardship that is more difficult for services to manage.”

The fund supports people in desperate situations – families left with nothing after a house fire, domestic abuse survivors rebuilding their lives and elderly residents struggling to keep food fresh.

Many of those who rely on the fund have no savings and are already struggling with rising living costs.

*Bromley Borough Foodbank distributed more than 8,000 emergency food parcels to families in need last year (Picture: Bromley Borough Foodbank)*

Kate Sing’ombe, Bromley Borough Foodbank manager, said: “Local organisations already provide significant support to struggling residents, but they cannot fill the gap left by the closure of this fund.”

Ms Sing’ombe said the decision to cut the fund will increase costs for both the council and health services across the borough.

While the council has cited financial pressures as the reason for the cut, campaigners say alternative solutions were not considered in the proposal.

They are calling on the council to reconsider its decision and work with residents, charities, and stakeholders to find a sustainable way to maintain the Bromley Welfare Fund.

Bromley Borough Foodbank has set up a petition, calling for the fund to be saved, which has already been signed by more than 300 people.

Bromley council has been approached for comment.

The petition calling for the fund to be reinstated can be found here: https://cds.bromley.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=500000034&RPID=578517825&HPID=578517825

Pictured top: Bromley Borough Foodbank is part of the Trussell Foodbank Network (Picture: Eleanor Bentall)