Lidl Cirencester

Cirencester Pantry Love Food but Hate Waste. We are living through a climate emergency that is threatening all our lives. Greenhouse emissions are a major cause of damage to our planet. Food waste alone contributes 6-7% of the overall UK gas emissions. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by global problems and wonder if an individual’s efforts can help improve things. Park Community Group with the support of Cllr Claire Bloomer believe we can have an impact starting locally and joining with others to try to reduce our food waste. Most of the waste in the food industry is in the supply chain and not from stores or from what we leave on our plates. Producers of foods supplied to the major supermarkets such as Waitrose, Tesco, M&S, Lidl, Sainsburys, Morrisons etc, are often left with perfectly good surplus food that is headed to be thrown away. Cirencester Pantry will be directly reducing waste by making this surplus food available to residents providing them with quality food which would otherwise be going to landfill. The Cirencester Pantry will be opening its doors on Friday 3rd March at Watermoor Hall from 4pm-7pm. We want all our residents to have the opportunity to become members of the scheme which cost £14 per month for a single person or £22 per month for a family. For the monthly payment, members will then be able to attend the Pantry. Members can select from a range of chilled fresh meat/chicken, fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, rice and other tinned goods. Each week what is available varies but each member’s basket will be worth at least £14 /£22 a week. The Cirencester Food Pantry is more than just a place to pick up good quality food and help save waste. We encourage active member participation to build a strong organization that delivers to members what they want – quality food, at great prices while helping reduce waste. But also join other members to help build healthy communities through sharing food knowledge, recipes, and activities promoting care for the environment and our neighbours. Have a coffee with us; chat with other members; introduce yourself after all you have something in common – you are a member of Cirencester Pantry who loves food but hates waste! We are part of the food network in Cirencester and the Cotswolds. • We work with the local Food Bank by taking some of their over stock of pasta/rice which they are having to pay to store. • We will hold some priority memberships at a minimal weekly fee for those who are moving on from the Food Bank’s free food parcels but are still in a position of food vulnerability. • At the end of our Friday pantry session all the leftover food will be donated to the Food Bank as well as to Signpost who support local resident by cooking tasty meals.

Cirencester Opportunity Group is an independent charity providing integrated play experiences and education for children and support for their families. We were founded in 1973 and have been providing enriching and stimulating learning experiences to generations of children for almost 50 years. We offer family support for children aged 0-4 and a child-centred approach to learning through the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. We are situated in beautiful grounds in Beeches Road, Cirencester and are proud of the facilities that we offer. These include a large playroom, soft play, a therapy room, paved and grassed areas and a woodland learning area to explore. We want to create opportunities for children with special needs and disabilities and for their families. We'll make a difference to the lives of children and families, so they don't feel that they are at a disadvantage because of their health needs, life circumstances or income. We also want to share healthy food with our children and families to support healthy food choices within the family home through access to healthy foods and through experiences.

Through the provision of meals offering advocacy and a befriending service, our aim is to make a postive difference in the lives of others, promoting hope and offering encouragement. We provide free meals to help relieve those in poverty. The provision of clothing, footwear and toiletries to the homeless with assistance to find housing. We embrace anyone that has issues that limit their quality of life. This may be for reasons of loneliness, financial hardship, debt, unemployment, mental health, addictions plus many more.