M&S Merryhill

High Oak Youth and Community Centre work with people in all aspects of life. We work with people to improve their spiritual, mental and physical lives. We also work to encourage people in the community to get involved in social action and improve their local community. Our aims are to enable the community to engage in positive activities and training that will improve their local economy, their environment and give them a better chance to gain employment and an improved qualify of life. High Oak will also be working with other organisations, e.g. Cornerstone Community Church drawing on their resources and expertise. We deliver: Youth and community programmes and training. Soup kitchen and food banks Educational support Arts and music programmes. Volunteering programmes.

Our vision is to continue to develop the Helping Hand Community project and build it into a truly community group where everyone can be involved and make a difference. All funds will be reinvested into the project, enabling fundraising events to be held and mobile food banks to be set up in various areas.  We have built strong relationships with a variety of organisations, community groups and local hostels and shelters to ensure surplus food goes to the people in most need. Officially formed in 2023, we have been serving the community since 2018. Over the years, we have built relationships and work with fantastic organisations to help those who need it the most.

The Good Shepherd has had a presence in Wolverhampton more than 50 years. During that time we have adapted and changed our services to meet the needs of our service users but food has always been at the heart of what we do. We believe that the food element of our charity is the magnet which draws in those struggling from financial poverty and hardship then once trust is formed, we can help people address other issues to improve their health and wellbeing. Our vision for the whole charity is by offering clients a wide range of services which they can use whilst attending for a meal or take away will remove barriers for vulnerable groups. We are targeting agencies that support economic self-sufficiency, relieve or prevent homelessness and improve health and wellbeing. Our main client group is rough sleepers and those who are vulnerable or in poverty as well as families in need. With the food service underpinning that help and support, tackling food waste is also something we are passionate about to ensure food doesn’t go to landfill. We have regular suppliers but are also heavily reliant on donations from the public and charitable funds to ensure we can provide wholesome meals - which our clients would otherwise not receive - to meet their daily need. The essence of the Good Shepherd is that providing food and hospitality brings in the most entrenched individuals to our services and helps us breaks barriers and gain trust which in time helps them open up on many issues. It is then we can start to make referrals and get the support needed for them to make positive and sustained changes to their lives. As mentioned, at the Good Shepherd we are passionate about reducing the amount of food which goes to waste. Over a six-month period during 2020 we prevented 25 tonnes of quality food going to waste, instead ensuring it was used within our food service and passed on to our clients. Helping us reduce the amount of food waste are the close and positive working relationships we have developed with food distributors. We work with many local restaurants and supermarkets to ensure we can make use of their surplus stock or stock approaching sell-by date that they know they will not be able to use. We served over 23,000 hot meals in 2023 driven by the aim of providing good and healthy food so that we know those accessing our services were receiving at least one good, nutritious meal each day.