Sainsbury's Penzance

Drama Express works with children and young people to provide an activities programme based around the performing arts. Each child and young person has a complex disability. With a membership of over 70 young people, Drama Express is a thriving community. The children and young people have a wide range of needs which include a diagnosis of autism / asperser’s syndrome, sensory loss / impairments, cognitive processing deficits, epilepsy, behaviours that challenge, restricted / limited mobility, learning difficulties, genetic disorders, dyspraxia and life limiting conditions. Drama Express also works closely with the families of each child and young person, recognizing the challenges around having someone in the household with a complex disability. This also impacts finances. The additional costs for specialist equipment can put a strain on money for basic items. Other charges such as medicines, travel to hospitals and time off work all contribute to budget pressures. Drama Express is proud to support these families with food surplus. We know from feedback how families feel gratitude to receive fresh, nutritious produce. We also know that shopping can be a huge challenge for these families who tell us that having a child or young person with a complex disability means a supermarket visit can be a real struggle. We have responded by our own deliveries of food surplus ensuring family do not have to worry about lack of food- piece of mind that we all often take for granted.

Growing Links CIC was created in 2013 as an action against food poverty. We wanted to readdress the balance between people in our community going hungry despite increased food waste nationally. Our Food Store facility provides essential store cupboard essentials, as well as fresh vegetables, to families and individuals in our community in West Cornwall, an area where incomes are low and work often seasonal. Many families and individuals are having to choose between paying their bills and rent, heating their homes or eating. Already supporting upwards of 250 per week, these numbers have been exasperated by COVID-19 with many people being unable to work and unable to access financial support. Our meal service Street Food Project provides hot food to our local homeless community and others who are vulnerably housed often without access to cooking facilities. We have operated 365 days a year for three and a half years often serving upwards of 30 meals per night. COVID-19 has forced us to suspend our meal service in its original format and we are now delivering food to individuals at various locations in our community. Our collective food bill in order to deliver these services is approximately £1000 per week. You can read more about Growing Links and our various projects by visiting www.growinglinks.org.uk Thank you for your support

Our ethos: “Take only what you need; give back when you can”. Hayle has two community food cupboards, one in Copperhouse opposite Down The Line surf shop and one at Foundry Square. The cupboards are stocked and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers who collect surplus food from local supermarkets, which could otherwise go to landfill. The food provided in the cupboards doesn't stay on the shelves for long! We are very grateful for consistent support from Aldi, Lidl, M&S and Sainsburys. From time to time the cupboards also benefit from fresh produce donated by The Cornwall Gleaning Network.