Council Leader Tim Adams welcomes Cost of Living Summit

Date published: 3rd November 2022

Council Leader Tim Adams today confirmed North Norfolk District Council is making a £10,000 contribution to North Norfolk Foodbank to help them support residents contending with rising energy bills.

Welcoming delegates to today’s NNDC-hosted Cost of Living Summit in Cromer, Cllr Adams confirmed the donation as the event got underway.

Councillors and officers joined representatives from a wide range of help and support organisations to discuss the impact of the rising cost of living on the people of North Norfolk – and what more can be done to help them.

Speaking about the donation, Cllr Adams, said:

“We’ve today announced a £10,000 contribution from the Council to the North Norfolk Foodbank, specifically to assist with their work to support people with energy bills. We’re keen to learn from events like this and to lend our support however we can.”

Speaking about the summit, he said:

“It was a really interesting and valuable event. There were some stark figures shared by North Norfolk Foodbank about the increase in demand that they’ve seen already, with the numbers using their services in the district having gone up by over a third in the last year.

“While it’s heartening to know the support they are giving, it’s clear the demand for assistance from groups like the North Norfolk Foodbank is going to increase further. We’ve obviously got to plan ahead now and hence that whole session was very helpful in bringing so many relevant organisations together to share their experiences and discuss ways to work together to support those most in need.

“I’m immensely grateful to everyone involved in pulling together the special cost of living residents’ survey we carried out ahead of the meeting and of course, to the hundreds of people who took the time to respond and share their experiences and concerns with us. It is really valuable data and also quite sobering, as it really underlines the scale of the issues some people are facing and the continuing need for us to work alongside all the other relevant organisations to provide meaningful help and support.

“We’ve had a lot of feedback today from community groups, parish councils, charitable and faith organisations - all of which is invaluable to us moving forward. We will be looking to plan in some of the suggestions we have received into our response over the winter and into the months beyond.”