ALDI KNUTSFORD

We are a community response hub for the residents of Partington, Carrington and Warburton, working to ensure that every single member of our community is cared for. Whether this involves accessing healthy food, collecting prescriptions, feeding their pets, or financial support with utilities we want to make sure that no one is missed. We work to provide such services as food deliveries and donations, signposting to additional services and providing well-being checks where needed. In addition, over the coming weeks we will be opening a community shop to further support our local community, providing essential items such as healthy food and household cleaning products, at low cost to local residents. This is where we hope your support can come in as we look to continue supporting our community through weekly food parcels to those families with the greatest financial need and as we begin to stock the community shop.

We are a Christian charity, working to prevent poverty and relieve its consequences in the WA16 and SK9 postcode areas of Cheshire East. We do this by offering two Food Banks, one in Knutsford and one in Handforth, as well as an affordable Pantry. We are so grateful for donations of non perishable food from local individual people, churches, organisations, businesses and supermarkets so that we can provide emergency food parcels to relieve immediate and urgent need. These donations also provide stock for our affordable Pantry which promotes dignity choice and hope for people who are struggling to make ends meet. The Pantry allows people to pay a membership fee of £6 every time they attend the Pantry and they can choose fresh, frozen, fridge and ambient food which is often worth up to £25. We work with local referral agencies including social prescribers, mental health workers and schools to ensure that the people who are in greatest need are referred to our services. We also work in partnership with Your Local Pantry who have set up over 120 Pantries across England and we are their first Pantry in Cheshire East. Our partnership working extends to the national charity Christians Against Poverty which facilitates us offering a wrap around service for individuals - helping them out of debt, equipping them via the Money course, Life Skills and Job Club (all free of charge). Rather than just being a sticking plaster of offering food, we want to support people to change their circumstances. In addition we run drop in Hope Centres where people can meet to share a meal and spend time in a caring and supportive environment, reducing social isolation. The food and drinks we offer here are all free of charge. We long to see people live independently and free from poverty and with the hope that is found in the Christian faith. We rely on a supply of non perishable and perishable food, groceries and personal items for those in immediate need of support.

I have recently opened a Community Fridge which I run from my house. It is a new shed that contains a fridge, freezer and shelving so we can store foods correctly that can be used by the local people in our village and surrounding areas. I work closely with other local businesses in the village too. All the services I provide are free. Before Christmas my children and a couple of volunteers made up food boxes and delivered these to around 50 houses in our local village which everyone appreciated. We have around 100-150 people drop by each week that take the food, and certainly a demand for it in our area. We have a parish magazine that I was mentioned in last month and this next month now my shed is fully open(we’ve had a new tarmac drive) so had to just adjust and work round this!) they have written a piece about me to go in Aprils edition. Here are some photos attached of the shed and my little boy helping me in his wheel chair deliver the food boxes before Xmas. Also a photo of me with all the potatoes we saved from sainsburys before Xmas when the other charities were closed so they asked me if I could take them. Another photo attached of inside my shed with the fridge and freezer and the shelving - currently empty but will be full of bread later!