Nottinghamshire County Council has approved financial support worth more than £15 million to help vulnerable residents during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In total, the council has green-lighted £15,710,641 for organisations, charities, households, and individuals via several funding streams since March 2020.

It means community-boosting projects in Hucknall and across Nottinghamshire have been able to continue to provide a lifeline to residents most in need during the pandemic.

Funding overseen by the county council has also enabled thousands of youngsters to receive free meals during school holidays and support low-income families who struggle to buy food, pay essential utility bills, or meet other essential living costs.

Money has been able to reach some of the hardest hit, quickly, following significant efforts with district and borough council partners to identify individuals, households, projects, and organisations needing support.

Last month, county councillors sitting on the Communities Committee gave the go-ahead for the Covid-19 Social Recovery Fund (SRF) to get an additional £500,000 to build on the council's continued support for communities throughout the pandemic.

Launched in June 2021, the SRF continues to provide much-needed support to charities and projects which offer a lifeline to residents in their communities.

The county council is also continuing to ensure vulnerable children are not going hungry outside of term-time and, as part of its commitment to helping low-income households, free school meals will be funded in the February half-term through the Household Support Fund (HSF).

Council leader, Councillor Ben Bradley MP, said the level of funding distributed to communities across the county during the pandemic highlighted the authority's commitment to helping residents who are most in need.

He said: "The level of financial support we have provided to the people of Nottinghamshire since the outbreak of Covid-19 is unprecedented and I am extremely proud of the work we have carried out to help those who have needed, and continue to need, it the most.

"From distributing free school meals to vulnerable children to delivering grants to organisations which play a key role in supporting residents in their towns and villages, we have worked tirelessly with our partners to ensure the required support is in place to ease the pressures the pandemic has placed on households and individuals.

"I would like to thank our staff, officers, and my fellow councillors for working together in such challenging times to deliver a number of financial support packages which are helping to make a difference to people's lives."

In addition to the millions of pounds distributed, the council also launched the Nottinghamshire Coronavirus Community Support Hub to provide a go-to support network for people and communities during the pandemic.

For further information on how residents and community groups can access a range of grants and funding schemes, click here.