Foothold Cymru – Stronger Together

Ellen Perry, Knowledge and Learning Officer at the National Lottery Community Fund joins us to describe the impact that Foothold Cymru are having by working with families in Carmarthenshire.

Across Wales, organisations are working in communities to find a way to mitigate the impact of the unavoidable, climbing costs we see described in bleak headlines on the news. As a key funder, The National Lottery Community Fund is keen to draw out best practice for tackling these rising costs of living, and to share examples between organisations – this article describes the impact Foothold Cymru are having, working with families in Carmarthenshire.

For some years, Llanelli based Foothold Cymru have been using a grant from The Fund to work with families finding it hard to make ends meet, even though at least one parent is working. When the grant was first awarded, they worked closely with the families to decide what would give them most support – the project they developed is called Stronger Together. The 303 households involved in Foothold Cymru’s Stronger Together project have saved an average of £426 per family, per year. The project has not only helped to ease some of the financial pressure, it has also built support networks within the community, creating positive impacts on wellbeing and mental health.

Stronger Together now provides a range of support including free children’s toy and clothes libraries, Wales’ first tool library, DIY courses, repair workshops, and community get-togethers to help people to connect and learn money saving tips. The participants are welcoming the initiatives – 72% said services had helped their household budget go further and 89% said they learnt new ways to reduce, reuse, repair, and reduce waste. Services will be able to continue beyond the life of the grant. Foothold Cymru report that creating several small projects within the programme has made it easier to keep things going, with service users now acting as volunteers in many of the different services.

The Tool Shed has made 392 loans already, providing access to otherwise expensive equipment and saving around £20,000 for residents. Foothold Cymru have held 120 DIY workshops and 113 upcycling workshops to increase confidence with home improvements. One workshop attendee explained:

“I’m more likely to DIY and upcycle (and) feel more self-reliant with tasks at home.”

Another participant added:

“The money we saved meant we could start to make the house our home, and I have new friends too, who all help with giving tips on saving money day to day.”

Stronger Together is expected to deliver a social return on investment (SROI) of £3.50 for every £1 invested.

Y Fasged Siopa (‘the shopping basket’) takes affordable fresh produce to more remote communities, offering regular and sustainable support for food insecurity.

It’s saved 289 participating households £27-30 per week, with expected savings of £1,404 per household per year. Alongside food boxes to meet immediate need, Foothold Cymru is building local resources and infrastructure to make more lasting changes. It’s working to establish local food hubs across the county, with additional services aimed at reducing food insecurity and building resilience initiatives include community gardening, bulk buying opportunities, and healthy eating advice.

The Community Fridge makes use of surplus from local shops and suppliers, and accepts donations from individuals – community-building and a way to reduce waste. It helps approximately 250 residents each month struggling to make ends meet.

Back2Basics works with young people to improve independent living skills and reduce food insecurity. In Foothold Cymru’s community garden, 289 people (volunteers and beneficiaries) have taken part in community growing and 509 people have accessed training and guidance on healthy food preparation.

Overall Foothold Cymru’s success has come from working so closely with the people it intends to support, so that what is on offer dovetails with what they need, and keeping the individual opportunities distinct and manageable. To find out more about what they have achieved you can read the full report here: Saving Money, Building Connections: Foothold Cymru/Arbed arian, adeiladu cysylltiadau: Foothold Cymru.