Lidl Glasgow Govan

Our charity was established in 2012 by a group of multi-cultural local people who wanted to do something about the significant increase in local crime, lack of opportunities, inability to access services, extreme poverty & hunger, isolation, fear and rise in racial hostility within their community, aiming to make a positive contribution to the cohesion & economy of the community, to help neighbourhoods feel safer & rekindle old-fashioned community spirit thereby: reducing the effects of deprivation and social exclusion reducing anti-social behaviour redistributing food & toiletries to those most in need ensuring greater numbers of people access local public & 3rd sector services All contributing to our vision: the improvement of dignity, physical & mental tool, quality of life, aspirations and understanding amongst all in our community. Happy to support the community, Glasgow City Council provided a long-term lease on an unused unit in the heart of Crookston which, together, we turned into the bright, welcoming ‘Crookston Community Centre’. In 10 years, our services within the Community Centre developed as needs were identified and now include: Foodshare Drop-in School Holidays Lunch Club Independence from Foodbanks Let’s Get Connected (IT classes) Adult & Children language classes Youth Games & Movie Club Thursdays Cook n Chat General Drop-in Service Volunteering, Training & Work Placements Multi-Culture Fun Days Local MP Chris Stevens surgery from our premises Our Foodshare platforms have reached beyond our immediate community to include ‘On Wheels’, ‘Emergency’ & ‘Pop-Ups’ Glasgow-wide & in Dunterlie, East Renfrewshire. CCG is a community anchor – known as the “Go To” place within the community, we are there to offer a helping hand, somewhere to go without judgement. To facilitate the growth & development of some of these services and to introduce another, we’ve leased a 2ndpremises (4 doors up) to convert into a working/training kitchen & café: ‘Crookston Community Kitchen’(full planning permission secured) with the intention of this becoming sustainable after 12 months by offering Catering Services within South West Glasgow.

The People’s Pantry is a membership-led shop providing access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food, as well as household essentials. Anyone who lives in the G41/G42 postcode areas can become a Pantry member for £6 a year. After joining, members can shop weekly for £4 and fill their baskets with purchases up to the value of £30.

Shine your light community rebuild lives, by promoting the wellbeing of single parents and their children, to assist them with various issues that prevent and eradicate poverty. Food is presenting a big challenge to our members as they are mostly refugees and asylum seeking single parent who are deprived and can only survive from our support of additional food provision. The cost of living has further worsened their situation as their household income is too little to but them good food. Shine your light community requires food surplus donations for our members who are refugees and asylum-seeking single parents. When food surplus donation is granted to our organisation, our volunteers would pack, arrange and distribute to our disadvantaged members around Glasgow. We hope to receive food supply from M&S, Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury around us. We redistribute surplus from 620 Hillpark drive and we deliver to our other members at their doorstep since they are disadvantaged to afford transport cost for collection. Our members are now over 50 single parents and they have told us during group meetings how they are deprived of quality food due to the high cost of living and their low income. We recently supported our members with food vouchers on the 11th of February. We regularly hold mental health (MH) and wellbeing workshops to discuss MH coping strategies and awareness on the symptoms of MH and how to access professional support when required. We do not charge any amount for our services. Our members receive our support freely. We were collecting food items from Lidl at Giffnock in Glasgow but we were recently stopped as they have told us to go through neighbourly to continue to receive food surplus from them. Aldi has also told us to go through neighbourly. Our members do not presently have any food support from us this year and we hope we would be supported to provide additionally food for those deprived and living in poverty in Pollokshaws are of Glasgow. The local press has not showcased our work but our distribution and photos can be found below and on our social media links (Facebook) @ https://www.facebook.com/shineyourlightcommunity/ Yes we have partnered with some local organizations like Scottish Refugee Council, African Future, Pollokshaws community hub and others.