Animal FoodBank UK is expanding its support for residents in Woodrow, providing practical help for pet owners experiencing financial hardship and supporting wider health and wellbeing.
The Redditch-founded charity delivers emergency pet food and supplies to people facing financial difficulties, helping to ease the pressure on household budgets during challenging times.
A Worcestershire County Council public health community grant has enabled the charity to establish and promote a regular drop-in service at Woodrow Hub. Pets provide companionship, routine and emotional support. However, rising costs and unexpected financial pressures can leave owners struggling to meet the cost of pet care. By ensuring pets remain fed, the charity helps reduce stress and anxiety for residents while enabling limited household income to be used for other essentials.
The drop-in service offers more than practical support. By building trusted relationships through a shared interest in pets, volunteers can engage with residents who may be experiencing wider challenges such as loneliness, social isolation, poor mental wellbeing, housing difficulties or financial pressures. The service provides opportunities for supportive conversations, community signposting and earlier access to help before problems reach crisis point.
A spokesman for Animal FoodBank UK said: “The community grant has helped Animal FoodBank UK build a visible and trusted presence at Woodrow Hub, and we are now seeing numerous local residents coming through the doors for support. By helping people feed their pets, we are easing financial pressure and allowing limited household income to go towards essentials such as food, heating and bills.
“Just as importantly, we are helping people maintain the companionship and family bond they have with their pets, which can be incredibly important for those experiencing loneliness, anxiety or poor mental health.
“We’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve received and for the opportunity it has given us to develop our regular drop-in service at Woodrow.”
The project supports Public Health priorities by reducing inequalities, supporting emotional wellbeing and helping residents access support before difficulties escalate. By increasing awareness of the charity and its services, the project is also helping ensure that local people know where to turn for support if they need it in the future.
To find out more about the Worcestershire County Council public health community grant programme please visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/communitygrants