HELP is at hand after Warrington has been named of on the most deprived areas in the country.

Statistics from a census revealed one in two households within the town are ‘deprived’.

And it has been revealed that a new fund has been launched to help pump thousands of pounds into Warrington charities which are in high demand by so many families.

Cheshire Community Foundation has launched the ‘first-of-its-type’ funding scheme for the borough, the Warrington Fund, to address issues such as poverty, mental health, illiteracy, and hidden homelessness.

Ahead of the launch, Melanie Sproston, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation said: “Over the past few years, we have recognised more needs to be done to support Warrington communities and families.

“One of the most economically successful towns should not have some of the worst poverty statistics in the UK so we need to act on this now.”

The Warrington Fund will be opened at a special event at the Parrs Bank Hotel and will aim to help existing charities, with goals of raising half a million pounds in the next five years.

“Our purpose is to support local charities by providing them with the necessary funds to enable them to carry out essential projects to help families facing significant challenges,” Melanie added.

“The Warrington Fund will play a crucial role in empowering these charities, allowing them to reach even more families in need - doing more with less.

“We look forward to officially launching the fund and sharing further insight with our key stakeholders about our ambitions for the fund and establishing our shared goals for Warrington over the next five years.”

The fund will work by prioritising the most pressing issues or needs across the town, as well as campaigning for more funding for good causes.

The launch comes after it was revealed there has been a 280 per cent year-on-year increase in people visiting Warrington Food Bank, and that one in five residents have no qualifications.

Over the last four years, Cheshire Community Foundation (CCF) has played an important role by contributing more than £1.1million to various charities across the town, funding ‘life-changing’ projects.

In light of new research, the charity has recognised more needs to be done to address the persistent growth in poverty statistics. 

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation asserts Warrington families have one of the lowest household incomes in the northwest.

Oxford Consultants for Local Inclusion states 22 per cent of Warrington residents have no qualifications; and, according to the Centre for Social Justice, one in five of the town’s children are persistently absent from school. 

On March 13, CCF will hold a launch event for the Warrington Fund at Parrs Bank Hotel in Warrington.