M&S Hedge End

Food redistribution charity in Southampton. Serving People, Saving Waste

The Food Centre is a church led, community focused project that enables individuals and families to be supported during financial crisis. We provide dried, tinned and, when available, fresh food which is donated by individuals, schools, churches and local businesses. Our passion is to provide food with love and encouragement to those struggling within our communities. OPENING HOURS It is open every Monday (except Bank Holidays) at King’s Community Church (KCC) from 10am to 1pm. It also opens a Food Pantry every Thursday at KCC from 10am to 12.30pm. The Food Centre is supported by “Churches Together ” in the Southern Parishes area and has various food collection points which are based at KCC, Aldi, Lidl, M &S and the Co Op in Hedge End and has collection points in a number of different churches. REFERRAL We have about 60 different referral agencies that include local church leaders, Doctors/GPs, children services, vulnerable adult services, CAB at Hedge End or Eastleigh offices and primarily Eastleigh B/C who are in contact with the local community. Their role is to contact the food centre to inform us of personal details and needs. This is done by electronic referrals or by phone to the designated mobile number. FOOD DONATIONS The food centre requires regular food donations and these can be brought to KCC from Monday to Friday 09.00-16.30 or on a Sunday morning from 09.30-12.00. Please put the food on the shelving at our donation point near the main entrance. For a list of all food types required, please click here but please remember that it must be non-perishables and in date.

Who are WasteNot WantNot (WiN project) We are a community group with a team of volunteers collecting a range of donated and surplus items - from food to household items, toys, flowers, plants and gardening items to decorating items and craft materials. We seek to match what is available with those who need it. Where we are based --- We are based across the Waterside area in the New Forest, near Southampton and serve a number of different communities across the area. How we identify our service users and their needs --- Through strong community links we hear what is needed and by whom. Individuals and households are often referred to us by local contacts - churches, a local preschool and nursery, toddler groups or charity groups such as our local foodbank, a local housing charity and a debt advice and support group. Sometimes through recommendation from our service users new folk will come to see us. What we can offer --- Our aim is to help those most in need first, particularly where food support or additional household things are needed, although anyone is welcome to our larger food share outs to avoid waste. Straight after collecting food we drive into local communities where folk will be waiting at one of our arranged "pop ups". We have several different venues, sharing from a church hall and in other communities from pop up tables. Food is organised and folk are able to choose items that they need or can use. These "pop ups" enable us to get food out rapidly after collecting. Volunteers deliver to some who are housebound. Through chatting to our service users we discover other needs that we can look to help with or recommend them to go to other groups. During school holidays we support a local cooking project with produce who cook and feed families and the housebound. Flowers and plants are delivered to housebound, sick or bereaved folk. Larger plants to school libraries and care homes and other plants to community planting areas. We endeavour to build and strengthen our links with other local groups and charities, sharing and supporting where we can. Relationships built enable us to sign post service users to support groups locally e.g. for debt support, housing issues, mental health support, accessing childrens groups or other charitible groups offering practical support. We are continually developing new ideas to help as many as we can wherever we can. We have a public facebook page - WasteNot WantNot (WiN project) https://www.facebook.com/groups/363922535329538 you can contact us at WNWNproject@outlook.com to find out more about us. Thank you.