Advice on where to get essential items to protect your health and keep warm. This includes items like food, energy costs, or items to reduce energy costs, winter coats, children’s clothes and warm clothing or shoes for adults.
You can also get help with household goods, furniture and school uniform or shoes.
Partner organisations already distribute these items. There is a list available of what you can get, from which organisation, if you’re struggling.
Food map
We now have a food map to show when and where you can get support with food.
Referrals
Accessing lots of these services needs a referral.
You can get a referral from our teams who you may work with already such as housing teams, social workers, children’s services or benefits.
You can also get referrals from your child’s school and local charities or voluntary groups you already work with.
Citizens Advice Wokingham’s One Front Door may also be able to provide a referral. Use the online form or call 0808 278 7958, Monday to Friday.
Energy efficient items for warmer winters
The warmer winter project can get you energy efficient items for free through our partners.
If you're struggling they could supply slow cookers, air fryers, heated clothes dryers and more at no cost. These will help bring energy bills down. Depends on availability.
Clothing
School uniforms and Winter Coats are available from First Days Children’s Charity by in-house assessment or The Cowshed by referral.
Children’s clothes and warm clothes for adults are available from The Cowshed by referral.
Gas and electric
Central Government has schemes to help people pay for gas and electric. These include:
If you have a prepayment meter Wokingham Foodbank can help with vouchers. These are given by referral
Household Support Fund is open for applications for £120 which can be used for energy costs if you can’t heat your home or pay your energy bills.
Items to keep you warm at home or use energy more efficiently at home will able from the Winter Warmer Project. More information on this will be available soon.
Our Help to Heat scheme could also help you pay for improvements to your property to make it more energy efficient.
Household items
If you need white goods or furniture you can apply to the Wokingham United Charities £500 essential item grant. Applications can be made via Citizens Advice Wokingham.
The Cowshed can help with duvets, pillows, bedding, blankets, curtains and some new appliances if there is availability. Professionals can make referrals on the Cowshed website.
Beds are available by applying to First Days Children’s Charity if they are for anyone aged 18 or younger. This includes bedding, duvets and other items as well as the bed.
Other help
Other support may be available. Check the cost of living help hub.
Our Local Welfare Provision is a scheme run by us to help people who are in a crisis or emergency situation and where additional assistance would help prevent the crisis or emergency from escalating.
Contact One Front Door, a service led by Citizens Advice, Wokingham, that helps residents find the most appropriate support. Use the online referral form or call 0808 278 7958, Monday to Friday.
