Roots Foodbank and Community Events
Strong Roots, Strong Communities
Roots received Community Choices funding to help cover minibus insurance and equipment storage costs through its Roots Community Bus and Events project. While costs like these often go unseen, funding for essential expenses helps organisations continue delivering activities, events and support within our local communities.
The Chairperson of Roots Foodbank and Community Events shared reflections on the difference Community Choices funding has made:
Roots foodbank and Community Events heavily rely on funding to continue our work within the several communities we serve. To be awarded £5k from Community Choices was a great relief to our group as funding has become such a struggle for all community groups recently.
This award ensured we were able to store our equipment for our fun days for another year in storage containers, most importantly our mascots and large dinosaur 'Rootasaurus' we bring to our events, school and nursing home visits, were not evicted from their home, a cost we would struggle to afford without funding.
Had we not secured funding for these we would have had to find alternative storage or dispose of our equipment which would mean a heavy toll to our free fun days. It would also have meant we may not have been able to deliver them for the first time in years, disappointing multiple families who depend on our free fun days as they struggle to afford days out with their children being home during the summer holidays.
The grant also awarded us monies towards insurance for our community mini-bus which is well used between local schools, charities, churches and community groups. Without this all important help from Community Choices it would have impacted several community groups etc who would not normally be able to afford a mini-bus for outings.
The mini-bus is not only well used in several communities but has made such a positive impact on countless occasions for special days out. Our most recent bus journey being two trips to the Edinburgh Tattoo with several pensioners, some in their 90's with the support of our volunteers. Helping make these all important precious memories for them and further bonding our community offering once in a lifetime experiences.
We would like to thank Community Choices and all who voted for our project to help make this possible and we can only hope the public know how important their votes were to have been part of such a positive impact on so many people within our communities.