Case Study: Cost of Living Bradford
A partnership between Community Action Bradford & District, Bradford Council and Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership has seen the launch of a campaign to help people access support with the cost of living crisis.
A core part of the campaign is the website, which you can find at costoflivingbradford.co.uk. The website houses information, useful links to support and a Warm Spaces directory which currently has 80+ community venues listed, offering their space free of charge to keep people warm. The website is updated regularly and has between 700 and 1500 visitors per day.
A 40-page booklet full of advice and guidance has also been produced, it covers topics from government support, energy and bills, food resources, housing support, volunteering, health and wellbeing and more. Over 45,000 copies of the booklet are in communities, available at libraries, community centres, GP practices, food banks, information centres and crucial community touchpoints. A digital version of the booklet can be downloaded from the website.
A third element of the campaign is the roadshow. Community Action have run a series of cost of living events across the district. This is a space for VCSE organisations to come together, discuss the crisis with experts and speakers, as well as make a pledge of how they (and we, collectively) can support communities through this time. At the events, booklets are given out and the website signposted so they can further distribute the support on offer.
The final element (so far) is the communications toolkits on offer. There is an internal toolkit for colleagues and the workforce, and an external toolkit for members of the public. This covers everything from posters, digital headers and newsletter/website/social media copy – the toolkits will be updated as we progress through the next stages of the campaign right through to March 2023 and beyond.
