GRANT funding of £250,000 could be set aside to help vulnerable children, young people and residents across Barrow who have been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

It is proposed the money is used to provide a summer school holiday programme across the borough as well as to cover one-off exceptional circumstances such as funeral costs, fuel bills, urgent travel or household essentials such as white goods.

The sum would be drawn from Barrow Borough Council’s Covid-19 Hardship Fund and used to support the needs identified by the Barrow Community Local Resilience Forum.

The proposal will be discussed by members of the authority’s executive committee on Wednesday.

The Covid-19 Hardship Fund contains £798,140 and must be used to support the economically vulnerable in the borough. The remainder - £548,000 - is being used to provide council tax relief to residents.