Local Community Support

We’ve gathered some information about other support that may be available to you such as Community Fridges, top tips and handy apps for saving money. We’ve also created these booklets that contain information on local support:

Back to school support

As the new school year approaches, back to school essentials are at the forefront of our minds. However, the rising cost of living may mean you are struggling to pay for these items. If you’re worried about the rising cost of living, you are not alone. We’ve populated this section with information about school uniform support that may be available to you, including grants and preloved uniform: 

Grants

If your child already gets Free School Meals, there could be more financial help available through the School Essentials Grant. This support can help with essentials like school uniform and equipment to make sure your child is ready for the school day. 

You could be entitled to financial help of up to £200 for: 

  • school uniform, including coats and footwear 
  • school activities: this could include learning a musical instrument, sports kit and other equipment for after school activities 
  • classroom essentials: this could include pens, pencils and school bags 

You can find out more here: School Essentials Grant | GOV.WALES

Monmouthshire County Council

For financial support accessing school uniforms, please contact: Monmouthshire County Council benefits department. 

Tel: 01495742037 or 01495742377 

Preloved uniform shop

Situated within Core Community Hub, the preloved uniform shop stocks a range of good quality preloved school uniform, priced between £1-£2. 

Monday – Friday: 9am – 3pm  

Saturday: 9am – 1pm  

Core Caldicot, 43 Newport Road, Caldicot, NP26 4BQ  

Tel: 07985102024 Email: caldicottownteam@outlook.com  

Support for unpaid carers

The Care Collective is a great resource for unpaid carers.

Wellbeing support

From depression to loneliness, mental health problems can affect any one of us – especially in challenging times like these. There are lots of charities and resources out there, here are a few:

Melo – mental health & wellbeing self-help resource: https://www.melo.cymru/

Dewis Cymru – directory of local & national organisations & services that can help you: https://www.dewis.wales

Mind Monmouthshire – local mental health charity: https://www.mindmonmouthshire.org.uk/

Mental Health Foundation’s best mental health tips (backed by research): https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/our-best-mental-health-tips

Barnardo’s – Kindfulness activity booklet Welcome to Kindfulness

If you or someone you care about require Urgent support, you can call:

Mental Health Central Access Point Freephone on 0808 800 3302 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

NHS 111

Food & supplies

Food Bank

If you are in urgent need of food and supplies, please search for your local Food Bank on the Trussell Trust website.

Community Fridges

The Community Fridges are located across Monmouthshire, their main purpose is saving fresh food from going to waste by redistributing it, for FREE to local people. Here is a list of Monmouthshire Community Fridges.

TooGoodToGo app

This app lets you rescue delicious, unsold food from businesses (such as Greggs, Starbucks, Co-op, Morrisons etc) to save it from going to waste, for a small fee – Too Good To Go

Cooking on a budget

Tesco have pulled together some fantastic meal recipes for cooking on a budget: Cooking On A Budget | Budget Recipes | Tesco Real Food

 

Support & Advice from Welsh Government

You can find a full list of support & advice that may be available to you here: Get help with the cost of living | GOV.WALES