M&S Handforth

Community in Action supports our neighbourhood by reducing food waste, sharing surplus, and promoting wellbeing. We aim to build connection, care for each other, and make our community stronger through practical help and learning. About Us Who we are Community in Action is a grassroots, volunteer-led initiative based in Brooklands. We work together to rescue good surplus food from supermarkets and share it with local people and community centres. Our vision is simple: a neighbourhood where food is not wasted, and everyone feels supported and connected, not just with food, but with emotional and practical care. We’re not a charity or a business, just neighbours taking action for each other, with love and purpose. What We Do Supermarket Surplus Collections We collect surplus food from local supermarkets, fresh fruit and veg, bakery goods, tins, dairy and more, that would otherwise go to waste. Redistribution We share this food directly with local community centres, families, and individuals. We also host local food sharing tables where anyone is welcome. Free Well-Being Training and Support In addition to food, we offer free well-being support to anyone in our network. This includes: • Drop-in listening spaces • Group support sessions • Training in emotional resilience, self-care, and compassionate communication We believe food feeds the body, and connection feeds the heart. Community Support Whether it’s helping a youth group, supporting a women’s circle, or offering care during difficult times, we show up with warmth and respect. No forms, no judgment , just neighbour-to-neighbour kindness. What People Say “We’re really grateful for what you do to support the centre in providing much needed food for the community, and it all goes really quickly.” — Community Centre Manager “The well-being session really helped me feel less alone. It gave me something to hold onto.” — Workshop participant

The proposed ‘Cre8 Project Grow’ envisions a sustainable, low-cost community food network, accessible neighbourhood green space and local people developing their own community, health & wellbeing activities. Cre8 distributes surplus donated food to young people and their families on the Moss Rose Estate in Macclesfield. Young people help to sort and distribute the food, giving them valuable work experience and life skills. The food is then given out to those in need. We will take any kind of food donations and can safely transport, store and distribute. Please get in touch if you're able to support us.

For public benefit, the prevention or relief of food poverty of people living in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, by operating a community grocery, providing surplus food from supermarkets to individuals and families, to relieve their needs and prevent hunger. Membership of Fare Shop is open to individuals and families in receipt of any state benefit/s. Membership costs £2 per year and entitles members to shop once per week. There is free choice of goods (basic groceries and toiletries) on open shelves and items are priced individually and are low cost. Fare Shop offers healthy and nutritious food. Generous portions of fruit and vegetables are free of charge and highly sought after by customers. On average, members spend £5.25 per shop, purchasing some 28 types of goods whose retail price is approximately £40. Fare Shop purchases some of its goods from the charitable wholesalers FareShare and In Kind Direct. In addition to these, the connections of Fare Shop to supermarkets via Neighbourly are central for its successful operation. Supermarket surplus and customer donations are a key component of Fare Shop's stock. In total, Fare Shop supplies its customers with some 30 tonnes of goods each year. The impact of the surplus food donations is immense. The recent Feeding Britain's customer survey revealed that 92% of our members worry about not having enough food to feed themselves and their families, every week. Many of our members repeatedly express their gratitude for the services of Fare Shop. "If it wasn't for Fare Shop, I wouldn't be able to eat on three days every week." "It means everything to me to be able to have fruit and vegetables which I would be unable to get otherwise."