M&S Lowestoft

During the first three weeks of Covid-19 lockdown more than 5,300 people contacted the ‘Home but not Alone’ East Suffolk telephone support line. More than 50% of the calls were for help with shopping because the caller did not have access to online shopping. Between April and the end of June more than 800 visits were made by volunteers in the Kirkley area to deliver shopping to more than 50 households unable to access online food shopping. In response to the needs of Kirkley community Kirkley Pantry opened on Tuesday 1st December 2020 at 10am in Kirkley Church Hall, St Peter’s Road, Lowestoft. We are open on Tuesdays from 10.00 -12.30 and 17.00-18.00. Kirkley Pantry is not a Food Bank, there are no vouchers and no referral system. Anyone who lives within the parish of Kirkley, who has found after paying all the household bills there is very little left over for food, can become a member of Kirkley Pantry. It is a membership scheme where for £4 each week members can shop at the Pantry and select at least 10 items of their own choosing from a wide selection of high quality products including tinned and ambient groceries and chilled, frozen and fresh food. The value of these items can be approximately £20. We also offer free items each week, subject to availability, which may include personal hygiene items, bread and cakes, fruit and vegetables and eggs. Shopping at the local Pantry means people can bring down their food shopping bills, and access good food, whilst freeing up more money for other essentials and enabling tight budgets to stretch a little further. Members of Kirkley Pantry can also volunteer, earning work experience credits and increasing skills. Kirkley Pantry is a member of Lowestoft Food Forum which works with FareShare, Neighbourly, East Suffolk Council and Lowestoft Town Council. The aim of the forum is to reduce food poverty and food inequality and reduce the amount of food finishing up in landfill sites. We purchase food weekly from Fareshare and also collect food from several local supermarkets If you are interested in becoming a member of Kirkley Pantry, or are interested in volunteering, please call 01502 589112 or email kirkleypantry@gmail.com If you are interested in volunteering with the Pantry here are some examples of how you can help: • Taking responsibility for food deliveries • Unpacking and putting food onto shelving/fridge/freezer • General cleaning • Greeting members and guiding them through the Pantry shopping experience • Stock rotation and management • Administration roles • IT roles

We’re a youth group offering services and support to young people and their families in Lowestoft, now with the opportunity of offering free food to our local community through our community fridge / pantry, winter meals and cooking sessions, in turn reducing food waste.

We serve a no strings attached meal for the homeless and marginalised in society. Our friendly drop in meal takes place on Tuesdays from 10am until 12noon. During the meal, we offer food parcels and clothing vouchers to anyone in need. We look to our Christian values, helping those who need help as Christ would have done, and has done for us. We normally have between 30-50 members sharing a meal with us at our Tuesday sessions, It is a drop in service, so members come at any time between 10-12, and stay for as long as they like.