M&S Hastings

Our mission is the relief of poverty among the street homeless/rough sleepers and homeless through the provision of items to support basic needs such as sleeping bags, ground sheets, survival sheets, blankets, clothing, food and toiletries. We also aim to improve the individual’s welfare through our welfare and advocacy team.We endeavour to prevent harm to health by referring to emergency and similar services as and when necessary throughout Hastings, Bexhill, St. Leonards, Eastbourne and Lewes. We provide a satellite food bank delivering in excess of 200 food bags a week to rough sleepers and the vulnerably housed homeless. We also have a baby bank and a Vegan bank plus our Homestart scheme, set up to provide those in emergency and temporary accommodation who often have nothing, not even a kettle. We provide these items. We work closely with our local Women's refuges and emergency accommodation hostels and provide books and toys to the children.

Every Thursday lunchtime, Sustenance's volunteers prepares and serves a nutritious three-course meal and a bag of grocery shopping to local people in Hastings and St Leonards experiencing food poverty. We prepare and cook the meals and fill shopping bags with quality surplus produce from local supermarkets and restaurants. We are passionate about reducing food waste, addressing food poverty, championing healthy eating and supporting the community. May 2021 till Jan 2026; 😃 handed out 10,181 full bags of shopping 😃 served 8807 three-course nutritious meals 😃 saved nearly 95.83 tonnes of surplus food from landfill 😃 saved 268+ tonnes of CO2 from going into the atmosphere

Our new project which started on 21st September 2021 is a community larder called "The Marketplace" which supports the local community addressing both sustainability of food sources and also local food poverty. We are open every Tuesday morning from 10-12 midday Leftover food from supermarkets is distributed to local people helping them as an immediate need. This scheme also helps alleviate waste from supermarkets. A small cost of £3.00 per shop is charged to help with running costs but also to add dignity to those people accessing The Marketplace. A community free flow café runs alongside The Marketplace where people will have the opportunity to find friendship and support. Tea coffee cakes etc is served free of charge. A debt advisory charity CAP (Christians against Poverty) offers a supportive presence each week to help with personal debt reduction and to signpost them to other agencies to help them move out of poverty. Other charities that come to the Marketplace café are - Bexhill Foodbank, CAB and Veterans growth along with other local groups who offer various support and help. The Marketplace will be cost neutral or running at a small loss dependant on contributions. The Marketplace will be open to anyone wishing to use it in the local postcode TN39 TN40 area.