ALDI LOWESTOFT - MILLENNIUM WAY

Northfield Primary Academy is in North Lowestoft, we have 359 pupils on role. Our school is in a very deprived area and we have a lot of vulnerable pupils. We have a fridge and shopping trolley in our foyer for parents to drop off any surplus food and toiletries they have or can take. Unfortunately we are no longer getting any donations. This means we are not able to offer food to families that we know are in need. We are asking if you could kindly donate toiletries and food items to support our families.

At The Limes we have opened a Community Fridge and food bank for the school, and wider, community. We are hoping for regular donation to support our initiative and keep this open for the community. What type of premises do you use for food storage and distribution? A large kitchen/ pantry space in a separate building on our premises. How do you identify recipients for your food distribution service? Staff direct families verbally to use the service. In addition, given the locality we benefit from word of mouth in the community. Do you offer any additional services alongside food distribution? At various points of the year, we also offer: toys, clothing and advertise FISH in the locality. Is there a cost associated with your food distribution service? There is a cost of travel and staffing to us. There is no cost passed on to service users. Do you currently collect surplus food from other retailers or sources? None. Can you share any local press coverage or similar that showcases your food distribution efforts? None, our families tend to prefer our more discreet yet normalised approach, as opposed to media coverage. While we used social media in the early days to promote our donations, we now open on regular slots and are used by the community - therefore, we do not post on social media.

Woodworks Art Cafe offers arts and crafts and support groups, including cat-therapy, as social prescribing, to relieve the pressures on the NHS and other services. We are open to the public for coffee/tea, cake, toasted sandwiches, pancakes and tayaki's, but also run dedicated arts and craft sessions and support groups (ADHD, Autism, Neurodiversity, Fybromyalgia, LGBTQ+) and seated exercises. In addition to offer private sessions for groups of 10 or more and private parties all with the aim to address mental health, social isolation etc. Some groups are funded whilst others are self-funded or free. The term 'social prescribing' is mainly used in relation to primary care (general practice). It describes the practice of referring patients to social activities instead of or as complementary to more 'conventional' forms of medicine. The therapeutic value of arts and crafts has long been established. Studies shows that art allows people to forget about their health or mental health condition for a while, allowing them to focus on the positive things in their life. Being wholly focused on a craft project can have an effect similar to meditation, which research suggests can help in the management of anxiety and depression.