M&S Merryhill

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.

Netherbrook Primary School is a happy, vibrant school in the heart of Netherton, Dudley. We provide a broad and balanced curriculum for children from the ages of 2-11. We are an integral part of the local community and like to take part in all aspects of life within the community, encouraging our children to think for themselves and grow in independence. Our green curriculum actively promotes our values and provides our children with a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences. We have a very mixed intake including many families who struggle with the everyday costs of feeding everyone and keeping their homes and their children clean. We already support our families in many ways, but because of the budget constraints so many schools have now, are unable to offer direct support to those families in ways that would help them most. We would love to be able to offer them practical support like food and cleaning products to make their lives easier. We offer free toast which gives every child breakfast each morning ensuring they are fuelled for the day and ready to learn. If any retailer is able to donate surplus groceries and/or cleaning products, we would be happy to collect and distribute to those families in need. We would acknowledge any contribution and would look to set up a working partnership with donating companies. We are also trying to improve our Forest School area and outdoor learning spaces to allow all children to access an outdoor curriculum to support their mental health and well being. We would like to grow our own fruit and vegetables to become more sustainable and share what we grow with our school community. We would welcome any support from volunteers or companies that could provide resources to support this project.