A PERSHORE lifeline gave out more than 8,000 baskets of food and other items last year, an increase of five per cent on the previous year.
Pershore Community Cupboard volunteers provide free surplus food from the supermarket to people who need it the most.
It was set up by Jane Keen-Smith in April 2020 and was designed to help ensure local families don’t go hungry.
The charity receives most of its food from locals, charities, businesses and supermarkets such as Tesco.
Much of this food comes as part of the Tesco and FareShare Community Food Connection surplus food scheme. This saves food which would otherwise go to waste to help feed the community.
The charity also works with schools, including three primary schools in Pershore. It provides food for their preschool children and families identified by the schools, church, and social prescribing.
Pershore Community Cupboard also works alongside GP surgeries, the Health and Wellbeing Hub, Volunteer Centre, Food Bank, and Riverside Centre.
Richard Tisdall, a volunteer and part of the admin team at the Pershore Community Cupboard, said:
“It is with immense gratitude that we are again able to thank all who have helped our charity over this past year.
“Thank you to all the volunteers without whom the cupboard could simply not operate.
“We also want to thank Tesco and the many individuals in our community who have contributed so much, often anonymously.
“Your support has not gone unrecognised and will help so many throughout Worcestershire.”
Claire De Silva, Tesco Head of Community, said:
“Working with community groups such as Pershore Community Cupboard to help them get the food they need is such an important service for us to be able to provide.
“The dedication they have to their community is amazing, and we are pleased to do what we can to support.
“We firmly believe no good food should go to waste, which is why we began our Community Food Connection scheme.
“It enables us to ensure our surplus food is put to good use in communities.”
FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste. Two-thirds of the organisations it provides food to support children and families.
Katie Sadler, head of FareShare Go, said:
“The food Tesco redistributes through FareShare makes a huge difference to people facing food insecurity across the UK.
“We work with thousands of charities and community groups providing essential support to their communities.
“Receiving a steady stream of food helps them to feed the people who need it most.”
Charities and community groups that could benefit from the support of the Community Food Connection scheme can find further information at https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/
Pershore Community Cupboard is open daily and welcome to all, located at Pershore Baptist Church on Broad Street, Pershore.
Visit www.pershorebaptist.co.uk/community-cupboard or www.facebook.com/PershoreCommunityCupboard for more.
