Building Cash First Communities in the South West Session 3: Using data and evidence to track and maximise the impact of the Crisis and Resilience Fund

Please find the recording of the online session as well as the slides shared by contributors:

Professor Sharon Collard, Personal Finance Centre, University of Bristol

Sabine Goodwin, Independent Food Aid Network

Holly Law, Citizens Advice North Somerset

Anton Wynn, South Cotswold Foodbank

And here are links to reports referenced by the speakers:

Evaluating the advice and support service provided through food banks (A report for Trussell by the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol)

Listening to Real Experiences: Understanding Access to Local Welfare Assistance Schemes (Expert Link) 

Crisis and Resilience Fund Deliberative Research (Department for Work and Pensions)

South Cotswold Foodbank’s most recent Food Poverty Report 2026

Here are some top tips from Anton Wynn of the South Cotswold Foodbank on Using Data to Shape Crisis and Resilience Fund Provision.

Following a first session that provided context to the new Crisis and Resilience Fund now being distributed across English local authorities, and a second session focused on taking a cash first but not cash only approach as well as supporting people to build financial resilience through local community networks of support, this third session focused on using data and evidence to track and monitor the new fund.