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Nova is the support agency for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Wakefield, a rapidly growing district with 1600 VCSE organisations. Smaller VCSE organisations and groups are much more dependent on volunteers than the largest organisations but across the whole of the sector, the contribution of volunteers is highly valued. In Wakefield 11,994 volunteers, donate 863,574 hours contributing £11,735,970. Wakefield is the 54th most deprived District in England out of 317 with 17.7% of the district’s population living in neighbourhoods amongst the top 10% most deprived in England.

How are Nova and partners responding to the Cost-of-Living Crisis in Wakefield?

Community Centres, Hubs and Anchors Network

An ambitious and structured programmed of Community Anchor development began in 2016, where Community Centres, Locality, Nova and Wakefield Council co-designed formal policies and processes for achieving Community Anchor status through a co-production model. Wakefield District’s Community Hub and Anchor Network was formed. Community Anchor organisations are a driving force in community renewal at neighbourhood level. They are independent, often registered charities, and are based in geographically defined neighbourhoods. Their multi-purpose facilities are used by the local community for various reasons, providing activities that align with the Five Ways to Wellbeing:

• Connect  
• Be Active
• Take Notice
• Keep Learning
• Give

Through Community Centres, Wakefield also provides ‘Help at the Hubs’ – a range of free to access support services from ‘Food bank’ type support, School Uniform Banks, Community Cafés, adult learning, sessions for children, to flu vaccinations and social support for older people. Hubs link well into NHS services through the Live Well Social Prescribing service run by Nova. 

Healthy, Sustainable, Productive Food

Food is at the heart of this cost-of-living response.  Wakefield has a thriving food network of VCSE groups working together to create a healthy, sustainable and productive food system that does as much good and as little harm as possible. This month the first Wakefield District Food Summit will bring together key people from all sectors together to explore how everyone in has access to high quality, sustainable food, to support the health, wealth and wellbeing of the district.  This network includes amazing VCSE groups including:

• Grow Wakefield - who turn unloved spaces into food growing places and helps people access the benefits of growing their own food.     

• Warwick Ahead, a resident led community centre in Knottingley funded by Big Local and managed by Nova, is delivering a slow cooker cooking class. These classes, delivered in partnership with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, help families plan and prepare meals in slow cookers to reduce energy costs, each family receives a slow cooker too.  

As part of this wider Food programme, Eastmoor Community Project is leading a pilot study to test and evaluate three Food Pantry models. The pilot idea aims to consider and support work to safely reduce a structural dependency of food banks at local level, with particular consideration of a person’s experience when asking for and accessing assistance.

Currently, food banks provide food parcels that are chosen by a staff member/volunteer, from goods that have been donated.  This project will allow pantries to purchase good quality food, and members will be able come and make their own choices of food that they need and like at a low cost. 

People can join as a member of one of these food pantries via a referral or other evidence of low income, and with a weekly fee of £5. During their visit, members choose their food items, approximately £25/£30 worth of food, which is then packed for volunteers in a bag for life. A free freezer bag with ice block is also given for transporting frozen food 

The pilot group are working together to produce a membership form, to determine eligibility and to identify other services that members could be signposted to e.g., housing advice, Citizens Advice etc.  The group has gathered information from pantries already operating to learn from their experiences, to avoid common challenges and to share best practice – and always welcome opportunities to connect, share and learn more across the Partnership and the sector.

Environment Strategy

Allied to the food strategy is the Wakefield Environment Strategy. Wakefield Council declared a climate emergency in May 2019 and has pledged to have a net zero carbon footprint across the entire district by 2038.  As part of the plans, the ‘Wakefield Way’ is committed to sourcing goods and services locally. A proposed social value levy could also fund environmental and active citizenship community activities.  

Find out more about Wakefield’s work on ‘Help at the Hubs’ here:  www.wakefield.gov.uk/more-money-in-my-pocket/help-at-the-hub