The charitable arm of Geordie favourites Greggs is working with a leading mental health charity to give vital supermarket vouchers to people in crisis as part of a project which could see upwards of £40,000 provided to those in need.
The Greggs Foundation and Everyturn Mental Health are launching a 12-month pilot scheme which will see those people supported by the Everyturn "together in a crisis" (TIAC) team given vouchers of between £30 and £50 to help with cost-of-living related pressures when it comes to energy bills or the prices of food and clothing. The vouchers provided can be spent in shops in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Primark, and Argos.
The two charities are each providing £2,000 a month for the crisis fund, which will then be distributed to those in need. The TIAC team works in Sunderland, South Tyneside, Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle to support those going through acute mental health difficulties.
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The TIAC service saw a 99% increase in referrals over 2022, with the cost-of-living crisis a key reason behind this. The charity said it was more and more aware of people in our region finding it increasingly hard to maintain and meet the demands of utility bills other essential items
The voucher support will be provided through the Huggg app and will range from £30 to £50, depending on need. Everyturn will then work to find longer-term support for those affected.
Adam Crampsie, chief executive of Everyturn Mental Health, said: "We have worked closely with The Greggs Foundation for many years, providing local people with real support that makes a difference. This new scheme is another example of our partnership’s positive impact on the lives of people struggling in our community.
"Our TIAC team has seen first-hand the absolute devastation the cost-of-living crisis has caused to people in the North East, and we are incredibly grateful to The Greggs Foundation for helping us to support our region when it matters most."
Tracy Lynch, manager at the Greggs Foundation, added "For several years, we have supported people in financial crisis with a national hardship programme providing targeted support for those who really need it. Helping people manage the impact of cost-of-living increases has become a strong focus of the Foundation over the past 18 months and our partnership with Everyturn Mental Health will ensure that even more individuals can access grant funding to purchase essential groceries, clothing and meet basic utility costs in the region."
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