Sainsbury's Biddulph

Chell Parish is one of the top 6% most deprived neighbourhoods on the CUF scale of social deprivation, The number of families claiming benefits is approx 25% higher than the national average, With the majority of the area made up of social housing. Education levels are well below the national average. The need for practical ongoing support has existed for a long time in this area and we are now trying to plug this gap with the agencies who work with us offering free advice and support to anyone who comes to Chell Parish Pantry. Both financial and practical items are needed to ensure the continuation of this work & all donations are very much welcomed Over recent months we have offered practical support which has been very much needed by our community, which includes; MTots Group- A parent and toddler group Families attending can access additional support by way of practical and emotional support by the Carers for each other. Uniform Bank – Chell Parish in the past has operated a Uniform bank which mainly runs over the summer holidays. Last year we clothed over 100 children with all the uniform items they required as well as coats, bags and shoes. Christmas Food Hampers – At Christmas we distributed free food hampers to families identified as been in need of additional support. Emergency Food Parcels – as ongoing support we make up and deliver emergency food parcels to families in our parish. Referrals can come from other church support groups, schools, social workers, or simply through the work we do. We also offer toiletries nappies, and children’s clothes as well as emotional and practical support and signposting where required. We offer a free warm place for the community to meet when they come to Chell Parish Pantry; everyone receives free hot drinks and free refreshments which are designed to further develop community cohesion as our Church Hall is the last remaining place for the Community to meet in Chell. As our logo says - we offer free food, without any charge and all are welcome - we ask for no referrals. Outreach in the community Support – we aim to be available to help all families in the parish when they require support whether it is an emergency or ongoing help. We offer a range of practical ways to support through the various initiatives as well as through emotional support. We are just a phone call/text message/facebook message away for any family that may need us.

we provide extra fresh foods alongside the tins & packets that are provided by the main Foodbank warehouse. We think it is important to try to add more nutritional balance to the food parcels that our guests receive. We have 2 Foodbanks in our area under the umbrella of Biddulph Churches Together Foodbank. One is at English Martyrs Church & the other at St.Johns church. Our visitors are referred to us by agencies who support families in the community eg.CAB, social services etc.Our service is free of charge. The surplus food helps us to provide fresh food items alongside the tins & packed goods that the Foodbank warehouse provides. The grants that we receive help to top up fresh food items with butter, cheese, eggs & other fresh fruits & veg ,we need to make sure we have enough to give to every one attending. We also provide small electrical energy saving appliances and electric blankets, hot water bottles, hats , scarves & gloves etc in the cold weather. Alongside the food items we also give out toiletries and cleaning products & pet foods.

The Foodbank has been in operation for the past decade in our local area based at the New Life Church centre. People helped are referred from a great network of teams we have built relationships with over the years e.g. housing associations, social services, mental health teams, job centre, NHS teams, schools, drugs team and so on. The foodbank is supported by volunteer help during the week at certain times. It is always a great challenge securing sufficient food to meet the demands which often change in reaction to changes to Welfare changes, employment related (low pay, zero contracts or contracted work), or social issues like domestic violence, relationship issues, health issues and so on. The foodbank integrates with the many other services we freely offer to address social problems, parenting, employment, mental health issues and so on. *During the current 2020 COVID-19 outbreak we are continuing to support our community as necessary - with the option of deliveries to those who are isolated at home* **For those interested in volunteering - thank you - we have had to restrict numbers of people on the premises during the lock-downs, and hope to involve more volunteers as lock-down eases**