Preston disability resource centre secures grant to help people affected by cost of living crisis

Participants crafting at a community group — Onward has distributed £21,000 to Lancashire organisations in 2022/23

A Preston disability resource centre has secured a grant so it can continue to support people affected by the cost of living crisis.

The Pukar Centre received £2,400 from the Onward Homes Community Fund to help employ an additional worker for six hours per week.

Based in Preston City Centre, the service has been supporting local people for over 25 years, working with disabled people, carers, and families to help them maintain their independence – but has struggled to keep up with demand in recent months due to the cost of living.

Younus Khan, Manager of the Pukar Centre, said: “There has been an increased demand on our services as a direct result of the cost of living.

“We applied for the Onward Community Fund to help employ an additional worker to help us target more local people who are most in need as the cost of living rises.

“This grant will allow us to support more vulnerable people not just with cost of living, but also to support them into work and engage with new digital skills.

“We would like to thank Onward and appreciate the support to help us continue our work in Preston.”

Onward Homes has supported 11 projects across Lancashire over the last year.

Underpinned by their mission to make a positive difference in the communities they serve, Onward’s Community Fund supports local groups to run new and existing projects that address local food, digital, green, and work issues.

Examples include courses providing digital access and training, youth projects that promote better health and wellbeing through green space, and community events that provide low cost, nutritious food options.

The Community Fund relaunched on 1 April, with the first round set to close at 5pm on Monday 15 May.

Groups can bid for up to £2,500 for their neighbourhood, with over £21,000 distributed to Lancashire organisations in 2022/23.

Andrew Brown, Director of Housing & Specialist Living for Onward, said: “We are re-launching the Onward Community Fund for 2023/24 to ensure we can continue to support local organisations right across Lancashire.

“I urge groups to check if they are eligible and get their application in as soon as possible so that we can start to see this funding make a real difference in our communities.”