A council in Gloucestershire has awarded its 100th Covid-19 Emergency Community Fund grant to a project dedicated to supporting families during the pandemic.

Tewkesbury Borough Council set up its communities fund in April, with the aim of providing financial support to voluntary and community groups as they responded to exceptional challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Groups can apply for a grant of up to £1,000 and, to date, grants totalling over £86,000 have been awarded to organisations supporting communities across Tewkesbury Borough, including charities, neighbourhood projects, parish councils, and voluntary groups.

The 100th grant has been issued to Hamper Scamper - a project delivered by the charity Caring for Communities and People (CCP), to provide seasonal food parcels to families struggling to cope with the impact of Covid-19 as well as the expectations of the festive season.

CCP's event manager, Liz Thatcher, said: "Sadly we have seen an increase in referrals for our Hamper Scamper appeal this year with more people experiencing poverty due to the effects of Covid-19. We are so thankful for the wonderful support we have received from Tewkesbury Borough Council and others in our local community. Thanks to their help, we have been able to produce more than 1800 food hampers and over 2000 gifts for children who are struggling this Christmas."

Tewkesbury Borough Council's lead member for Communities, councillor Clare Softley, said: "We are really pleased that our 100th emergency grant is helping to support local families after such a difficult year.

"A huge thank you to everyone involved with the amazing community groups in the borough who are working so hard to support vulnerable people throughout the year."