Organisations across Cornwall have pledged to work together to support people through the cost-of-living crisis.
They will also urge Cornwall Council’s leader and local MPs to press new Prime Minister Liz Truss to take action to help Cornish residents and businesses.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board met with representatives from local communities, charities and businesses at a special summit named Turning the Tide on the Cost of Living on Monday (September 5).
Participants included Cornwall Independent Poverty Forum, Citizen’s Advice Cornwall, Voluntary Sector Forum, Volunteer Cornwall, Disability Cornwall, End Hunger Cornwall, Department of Work and Pensions, Kernow Credit Union, Cornwall Council, NHS and Independent Food Aid Network/Trussell Trust.
All signed a statement at the end of the summit which:
- Recognises the importance of working as partners to protect the most vulnerable residents in both the short and long term.
- Commits to further coordinated collective action in the areas of community and voluntary sector support, maximising income, reducing debt, supporting housing security, energy efficiency, fuel poverty, and access to food.
- Calls on Cornwall Council’s Leader and Cornwall’s MPs to highlight the impact of the Cost-of-Living crisis to the new Prime Minister and ask her for more support.
Linda Taylor, Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board, said:
“We heard a lot at the summit about the ongoing impact the rising cost of living is having on our residents and businesses.
“Many people are anxious about not having enough money to afford the basics, including enough food and keeping their homes warm this winter.
“Our voluntary and community organisations, individuals, businesses, and the wider public sector – including the NHS and Cornwall Council – are already doing a lot to help. But now is the time to really draw on that experience of collaborative working that helped us through the pandemic so we can maximise our resources to help people as best we can.
“Things are likely to get worse so we must all work together to have a greater, more lasting impact, and we must ensure we listen and learn to protect our most vulnerable residents.
“We will also look to share the findings of our summit with the new Prime Minister and urge her to do whatever she can to help.”
The outcomes and recommendations of the Summit will be shared with the leadership board on September 16.
To find out more on the help and support available visit the Council’s Cost of Living webpages.
Press release published on September 8, 2022.
