Axminster charity group awarded vital funding for another year after a nail-biting wait

AN Axminster charity is cerebrating after winning vital Lotto funding for a further year.

After a nail-biting wait, South Street based Health and Local Food for Families (HALFF) has been awarded �43,545.

Founder and director Tiggy Parry said the money had come “just in time”.

“This is a significant achievement as only a small proportion of the charities which the Big Lottery supported were invited to apply for an extension of their existing grants,” she said.

“The selection process was rigorous and only those charities that could demonstrate that they had made an outstanding difference to their community were successful.”

“It was an honour to be asked to apply as invitations are coveted and rare. Having submitted our response in December, the trustees and staff have been waiting patiently for an answer.

“We are delighted to be successful as this means we can continue to make a difference to lives within our local community. I am confident that what we do is vital, as all children need to eat well and parents, health workers and the children’s centres in the towns we support have told us that they did not want the sessions and the service we provide to end. This external funding decision gives us recognition and assurance that what we do is really important. “

HALFF works with parents of young children and the Over 50s to help them to cook and buy healthy food. It provides information on healthy eating and encourages people to eat local and seasonal fruit and vegetables and to eat together. All sessions give people the chance to try new foods in a fun, non-threatening way to help them to improve their diets. HALFF also runs No HALFF Measures in South Street, Axminster, stockists of fruit and veg and locally produced preserves and juices.

Schedules for the Weaning, Parent and Toddler and Over 50s Club sessions are currently being organised and will be published shortly. For more information, call 01297 631782 or go to www.halff.org.uk.

The groi7uyp stresses that funding is still limited for all the activities planned, so any additional donations would also be very much appreciated and would enable HALFF to reach more people. HALFF is now registered with Localgiving.com which allows people to easily gift aid any donation online via www.localgiving.com/charity/HALFF