Volunteers providing free meals for vulnerable worried about impact of council cuts

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A group in Nottingham that provide free meals for people struggling with the cost of living say council budget cuts will only make things worse.

Twice a week, volunteers at the Hyson Green Youth Centre prepare food for up to 70 people struggling to afford a regular hot meal, but they're worried they'll struggle to cope with extra demand.Ryan Vaughan, Head Chef, said: "Here they can come and get their hot meal. It's raining, it's cold outside, they get out of the rain, they come in, they're nice and warm. They get a wholesome, nutritious meal. No cost is spared."

While Emmanuel Israel, a volunteer, added: "We're all volunteers here because we all understand how it feels to be struggling, and to do your best. So it's very good to see that, but then again there's a lot of people struggling."

The project was set-up with an initial one-off grant from the city council.

But with the local authority now looking at axing jobs and services to plug a £53 million gap in its budget, the group fear any further funding will dry up.Lorraine, one of the many volunteers at the centre, said: "It will affect what we do because we won't be able to provide for the people. So that would be a loss to the community. That would be a loss to the people that are benefitting from it. So we really don't need those cuts to happen."

Today, the campaign group Resolve Nottingham, set up to fight the cuts in the city, handed in a petition to Downing Street, demanding more government money for the city.

Mutsa Makaka, Founder of the Changing Your Mindset Charity, said: "The city is made by the people. And if the people are not getting the service, if there isn't that community spirit, if there isn't that community cohesion, if there isn't that support to empower, inspire, and heal, then what are we doing?"

While Marcellus Baz, the founder of Switch Up, said: "We've already seen the pandemic. Then we've seen the cost of living crisis. My concerns are that with further cuts to our communities, it's going to have a catastrophic effect on people's livelihoods, on people's mental health. We're going to see crime rates going up."Yesterday the government approved access to emergency loans for councils in acute financial distress. Nottingham has secured just over £66 million, but in return will need to look at other ways of raising revenue, including selling off assets.

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