School Essentials Grants from GroceryAid

Shops are reopening, sporting events are back on and before you know it families will be getting ready for “back to School” in September, which this year will be completely different due to the current circumstances.  The pandemic has certainly had an effect on all of us, but affordability is something that will continue for some time whatever situation we are in. Part of being a Midcounties colleague is the support you receive from GroceryAid, which is there for those who need it the most in our times of uncertainty.

That’s why, this week GroceryAid have just launched the School Essentials Grant programme, helping to reduce the financial impact on parents working in our industry when children go back to school in September.

A recent survey by The Children's Society reported that increased school uniform costs are leaving many low-income families struggling to cope and forces them to cut back on food and other essential items.

Welfare Director from GroceryAid, Mandi Leonard says;

"GroceryAid’s School Essentials Grant will help to alleviate some of the financial strain on low-income families at the start of the new school year, particularly in these unprecedented times. This financial strain is understandable with the research showing average parents need to spend around £337 on secondary school uniform each year with primary school parents paying as much as £315 a year per child.”

How can you receive support from GroceryAid?

Parents can apply for a grant of £150 per school-aged child (up to a maximum of three children per family) to go towards school essentials, subject to meeting the GroceryAid eligibility criteria.

They use Joseph Rowntree Minimum Income Standards guidelines which takes into account the family make up and housing costs. This grant is aimed at people who are in receipt of Child Tax Credit.

If you wish to find out more including eligibility, please click here.

GroceryAid Support

All Midcounties colleagues have access to GroceryAid. The national charity that helps people across the whole of the grocery industry. Last year alone the charity helped over 15,700 colleagues, spending £4.25m on welfare support.

Here are just some of areas GroceryAid can support you or one of your dependants in:

Mental Health Support

Offering ‘in the moment’ emotional and practical support for grocery colleagues dealing with shock, anxiety and stress through BACP (British association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) trained counsellors, a Health & Wellbeing portal and Woebot, our friendly AI Robot app. Available to all grocery colleagues from day one of working in our industry.