New food pantry will provide welcome support for Dearne village
A NEW food pantry is to be launched in a Dearne village during the Spring in a move to bring fresh support to the hard-pressed community.
St Helen’s Church has worked with Barnsley Council, which is providing financial support for the first year, to launch the service, which provides heavily discounted food.
Members pay a £5 charge, but then have the option of choosing the groceries they want, along with other items like cleaning products and toiletries.
It is expected the retail cost of those items would be around three times the subscription charge - giving a welcome boost to family finances.
But the service will also operate at St Helen’s Church Hall on Mondays, when a ‘warm space’ session also takes place, with free breakfast available to those visiting.
There are also expert advisers present, to help those struggling with financial pressures to cope with demands.
The Rector of St Helens, Rev Sarah Maughan, has worked on the project and said it was important to have more support services in Thurnscoe.
Anyone is able to sign up for the pantry service, unlike food banks which normally need a referral.
Produce available will be largely bought in specifically for the pantry, but will also be supplemented by retailers’ overspill from Fairshare and donations.
“It is about helping people to manage their money; we also have agencies in, to signpost people at the warm space.
“That has always been important to me, not just providing initial help but empowering people to become sustainable,” she said.
“It also provides a sense of pride.”
It is expected that after the first year operating with council support, the pantry will become self-sufficient, following an operating model used successfully at other locations.
“We are confident that it will become sustainable, we have visited other food pantries to see their working models,” she said.
“There may be other funding available, it will really depend on need, let’s see how it goes,” she said.
Volunteers from St Helen’s will operate the pantry, which it is hoped will be opening around mid April.
It is hoped the service will dovetail with the food bank help provided by the Salvation Army in Goldthorpe, who “do a fantastic job”, she said.