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The Council is grateful to have received so many responses to the rising cost of living survey, we know this is an issue that communities across the borough have a strong interest in.

Looking at the responses so far, they have shown that more half of those who have taken part are worried about the effects of the rising cost-of-living.

Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “We all know that making tough decisions between buying groceries and heating our homes is not a choice anyone should have to make.

“The harsh reality is that this is happening in our communities. We are currently feeding thousands of children across the borough through our Holiday Meals programme because it is clear there is a need. The Council also offers free activities to reduce some of the financial burden on families.

“Despite the support already on offer through, the resident and business surveys are vital in helping us understand where there may be gaps, so we can work together to close them.

“Targeted payments from funding of £2.3million will be made to ensure no resident is left behind.”

If you have taken part in the survey already, the Council asks that you share this with friends, family and members of your community. If residents need support filling in the survey online, they can visit one of our Advice Hubs for in person help.

A physical copy of the survey can be collected at libraries around the borough, with a box for completed surveys to be submitted.

Please note Once you have taken part; you will need to confirm your response by clicking the link sent to your email.

The Council is working to build a comprehensive picture of how the rising cost-of-living is impacting the borough through its campaign Greenwich Supports.

Local businesses are vital to boosting the economy, providing jobs for local people and helping build strong communities and increasing vibrancy in our town centres and high streets.

However, the Council recognises that local businesses and employers will likely be facing similar challenges to those of their staff, with rising costs and other inflationary pressures.

Cllr Denise Hyland, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business and Skills said: “Just as businesses began to recover from closures and lowered footfall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, costs have increased making it much harder for them to stay afloat.

“Businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and we must ensure they are not forgotten as we work to support vulnerable people in our borough.

“If you are a local business, please take a moment to fill out our survey.”

The business survey is the secondary phase of engagement following the launch of the Council’s cost-of-living survey and has been completed by more than 260 people so far.

A taskforce has been launched to support residents and local businesses in Royal Greenwich with the rising cost of living.

At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 22 June, Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Council, along with his Cabinet, made a pledge to take urgent action to do even more to support residents and small businesses with the rising cost of living.

To help identify and close any gaps in support, the Council will be working closely with communities across our borough to ensure no-one is left behind.

In the coming days and weeks, the Council will be reaching out widely to connect with residents directly, through community centres, respected local figures, faith groups and many others.

We want residents to share how the cost of living is affecting them and their communities, allowing our diverse borough to shape how the Council responds to issues such as food poverty and unexpected hardship.

Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “The rising cost of living is not news to many of our residents who may already be feeling the strain, but we want you to know we are here to support you.

“Together we will tackle the inequalities affecting the most vulnerable residents in our community. We believe it is a basic human right to be able to feed your family and keep them warm during the colder months, despite surging energy prices.

“The rising energy costs are a massive concern, that we plan to address with the support of our local partners and charity organisations.”

Yesterday, the Leader of the Council published proposals on how the Council will distribute £2.4 million of Household Support Grant funding from the Government up until September.

Under the proposals targeted payments will be made that ensure that residents struggling to meet basic needs such as food, energy and bills are supported.

The proposals include:

Cllr Ivis Williams, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Social Value said: “Unlike many London councils, the payments we plan to make are coming from a place of strength. We have a strong network of council-funded groups as well as voluntary and community organisations working together to directly support our residents.

“We will continue to build on this, making sure that no vulnerable resident falls through the cracks. In the coming weeks, we will be asking the diverse communities across the borough for input so we can work together to better understand how to support you.”

As a Council, we understand that the situation is getting worse for many of our residents and may continue to do so as we approach autumn and winter. We have mobilised a taskforce to work with the community and identify where our support system may be vulnerable and close these gaps.

Through conversations with our residents and our partners we will begin to shape how our response to the rising cost of living will look going forward.