Thanks to an award of £23,320 from The National Lottery Community Fund, the Isle of Hoy Development Trust are supporting members of the local community who are experiencing hardship due to the increases in cost of living.

Denize Lace, Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Isle of Hoy Development Trust, said:

“The Community Larder was initially developed as part of our response to the Covid-19 restrictions when during lock down residents on Hoy were not allowed to travel off the island except for essential work and hospital appointments. Whilst our local shop on the island increased its stock and was a positive support for the community the lack of access to supermarkets and other budget shops made it difficult for people on low incomes.

“As the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis became evident it was felt this would be an effective way to support local residents. Boxes of groceries up to a value of around £50 (depending on number of people in the household) are being delivered fortnightly. Boxes include dried and canned foods, with fresh vegetables and meat included in alternate deliveries.”

Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund said: 

“It is great to see National Lottery funding being distributed to local groups with such strong connections within their communities, enabling them to make a real difference impact to the people who live there.   National Lottery players can be proud to know that they help support this vital work.”