AS the Government grants that have kept businesses and their employees afloat in the current climate start to dry up, Wilmlsow’s Hope Central is preparing itself for the ‘inevitable aftermath’ of COVID-19.

The Christian charity is steeling itself for a surge in demand if the number of people being made redundant starts to rise.

The concerns come as figures from the Office of National Statistics show that in the month up to April 9 – when lockdown measures began – the number of unemployed Universal Credit claimants almost doubled in Cheshire.

In Cheshire East, which includes Wilmslow, 8,870 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of April 9 compared to 4,680 people the month before.

During April, Hope Central delivered hampers providing a week’s worth of food for over 400 people from its Handforth hub and were on  track to exceed these figures by 10 per cent or more in May. 

Working with The Welcome in Knutsford, the team supplied a similar number of people in that town with emergency food supplies and more than 300 lunches via a new ‘meals on wheels’ service.

Robert Larkman, director, said: “We are now gearing up to deal with the inevitable aftermath of the situation and its ongoing implications.”

Along with continuing the foodbank service, the charity  is piloting the Christians Against Poverty (CAP) money course using video calling and hopes to roll it out more widely by the end of June. 

The team is also working on creating a CAP Debt Centre where specialists will provide advice and work with creditors to find a solution to help people to get out of the red.

Robert said: “The need for a CAP Debt Centre in the area is becoming ever more acute and is a major priority for us going forward requiring significant resources, both human and financial, to deliver.”

During the pandemic, the Hope Centres have been closed but staff and volunteers have been keeping in touch with regular attendees to see how they are doing and to offer further support where needed.

Robert said: “It seems clear that services such as the Job Clubs, Fresh Start which helps people with life-controlling habits and dependencies, Life Skills and money management courses will be even more essential in the months and years following the lockdown.”

This means Hope Central will need to recruit more staff and volunteers and anyone interested in supporting the charity can find out more on its website hopecentral.org.uk or by following its Facebook page @HopeCentralCheshireEast.

Robert added: “We continue to be greatly encouraged by the generosity of local churches, individual church members, local councils, housing associations, food retailers, other local businesses and members of the public, committed to supporting Hope Central as we seek to bring hope and relieve poverty amongst the poorest and most vulnerable people in our communities.”