Love Southampton Commissions an Impact Report

According to statistics published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in 2019, over 45% of Southampton’s population lived in neighbourhoods within the 30% most deprived nationally (around 117,000 people). Around 12% of Southampton’s population lived in neighbourhoods within the 10% most deprived nationally; this rises to 18% for the under 18 population, suggesting deprivation disproportionately impacts young people in the city.

Now, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has awarded a grant to City Life Church for Love Southampton to help the city overcome the economic impact of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Under the Faith New Deal grant, Love Southampton has led a city-wide summit and relaunched the All-Party Parliamentary Group Faith Covenant. City Life Church Leader, Paul Woodman explained, ‘Part of the grant was allocated to producing an impact report of the work of Love Southampton. We’ve been fortunate to partner with JS Hirst Consulting, who will provide an independent report based on its interviews with people partnering with us and those who have been supported by our work.’

Impact Assessor, Jean Hirst added, ‘It’s been interesting to attend the cost-of-living summit and to interview key partners across the city, visiting several food projects and talking to its users. My role now is to capture the work of Love Southampton both through the pandemic and also into the current economic crisis, identifying where things have gone well and where they could be improved.’

One end-user of the SCM basics bank in Bitterne said: "It means I can eat. Currently I have 1 can of soup, a jar of jam and a couple of potatoes in my cupboard".

There were 352 applications for the national funding and Love Southampton was one of 16 projects funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. It was the fourth largest grant awarded and enabled Love Southampton to make community grants across the city to aid food provision to people in need.

Faith Minister Paul Scully said: ‘We saw the instrumental role that faith organisations played in supporting vulnerable people during the pandemic. Working closely with local partners, councils and government, they supported communities where they need it most.

This pilot scheme will build on that vital work, so that faith organisations and their partners can continue to support communities as they recover.’