Community hub offering affordable food launches in Walsall
It aims to help ease the financial pressures due to the rising cost of living.
A community hub is opening in Walsall today (December 2) offering people the opportunity to buy discounted food and hygiene products.
It's a joint project between employment charity Steps To Work and Your Local Pantry, a membership food club.
Situated on the Wednesbury Road in Pleck, the pantry is free for anyone who lives within a 1-mile radius and members are asked to pay £5 per visit to take ten items from the shop - which, on average, are worth £30. The money raised will be reinvested into the running of the hub.
In addition to affordable food and hygiene, Steps To Work will also be using the hub to deliver employment support, as well as providing help with accessing benefits, housing and budgeting for personal finances.
Volunteers from Steps To Work will help staff the hub which will be open initially from 11am – 3pm every Wednesday. In the New Year, opening times will be expanded to fulfil demand.
Access to the Pantry is not means tested or benefit dependant, allowing locals in need or struggling to put food on the table to access affordable food.
The Pantry relies on donations and so far, organisations providing food items include Warburtons, Hygiene Bank, FareShare, FareShare Go and Hischurch.
Bhanu Dhir, Chief Executive Officer at Steps To Work, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working together with Your Local Pantry to provide those in the Walsall area with affordable food and toiletry items.
"We understand the pressures many families are under and with food costs continuing to soar – our team at Steps To Work is looking forward to giving back further to the local community.”
Shabir Jivraj, Your Local Pantry project officer, said: “Pantries are places where communities thrive and grow. They bring people together around food, foster friendships, loosen the grip of poverty and contribute to happier, healthier lives.
"More and more organisations around the country are seeing Pantries as sustainable, dignified, positive solutions for their neighbourhoods, and they are often springboards for further opportunities and ideas. We’re delighted to be partnering with Steps To Work in Walsall and look forward to meeting the new Pantry members and volunteers.”