ALDI HYDE

Pennine Mencap assists adults with learning disabilities and Autism throughout Oldham, Tameside and Rochdale. We provide a number of structured activities and events with the aim of teaching our service users new skills and creating opportunities for meaningful occupation, as well as social well-being. Established in 2012, we have come a long way from our beginnings in a small, windowless storage room with plenty of potential and not a lot of resources. It was only through listening to the feedback of our service users that we were able to develop as a charity in the facilities and opportunities we provide.

Just as farmers left part of their harvest for the poor. We recover excess food from supermarkets, restaurants, and events. Surplus produce, near-expiry food, or unsold items can be “gleaned” and redirected instead of being discarded. Our food pantries in Stalybridge and Hyde act as “fields” for the distribution of gleaned food. We make this available to those experiencing food insecurity, free of charge. This is added to our shelves directly onto the street as soon as we receive it. 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year. This ensures that resources are shared immediately within the community, reflecting the principle of caring for the vulnerable. Volunteers In the same way that individuals in biblical times would gather the gleanings, our incredible team of volunteers assist with food collections, sorting, and distribution. This promotes a sense of shared responsibility and community involvement.

Provision of relief of items to vulnerable and disadvantaged families. We now want to launch a community hub but need more funding, help with fridge and a space to fully launch the hub. When this is accomplished we will be able to increase our beneficiary base as well as increase our services. People will not have to wait to get appointments before accessing food. They can get come in everyday we are open to eat.