ALDI WHITTLESEY

Christian local project supporting local families in need by providing emergency food parcels, as well as signposting and additional support where appropriate. We are seeking food donations. We mainly use tinned, and non perishable food items but can take certain ambient food but please contact us first.

Helping Whittlesey is a Facebook group that has been running for the last 7 years and has 2.6k members. We became a registered charity in 2023. We help support the community with things ranging from helping people get back on their feet with furniture donations, Christmas toy appeals, rallying around when people are struggling to buy food etc. It's very community based and it's what Whittlesey does best! Working in the recycling sector, we became aware of just how much gets good stuff gets thrown away. Not just food, but furniture to. We decided to make it official and help do our part for the environment. Visiting other community fridges & pantry's to get an idea on the set up and what we would need to do, we know that the Pantry would be a huge asset to our town. From the Facebook page and the anonymous posting, we know that people are sometimes embarrassed about accessing a food bank, but also there are also people who want to help the environment and reduce how much gets thrown away. We needed a venue first! We approached Colin at The Falcon Hotel in Whittlesey, who has let us use his outside storage area. From July 23, with the support from our community in donations, time and trade skills and then securing funding from The Postcode Lottery & Fenland District Council through PECT (Peterborough based environment and sustainability organisations) we have transformed the unit into The Helping Whittlesey Community Pantry. In our first year of opening, we have collected on average 2.5 tonne of food and flowers a month and re distributed it back into the community and helped local good causes. We have also been working with the communities service team for Fenland council as part of their 'closer to communities' commitment, and health professionals such as the social prescribing link worker from Jenner healthcare. This joined approach offers a valuable co-ordinated resource to the community, while also complementing existing community resources and linking to a network of social prescribers. Our aim is that the Community Pantry is exclusive to all in the local community and food that is still usable will be available for anyone to access. We are also working with local people who work with the vulnerable and the youth, to how we can help them with surplus food we receive. We have a donation tin, if people wish to donate to go towards the utility bill they can, but it's not compulsory. As we speak, we are in the process of looking to set up a repair shop, where local skilled craftspeople & tradespeople can put their skills to good use and stop household items going to landfill and re distributing them back into the community.

Looprun is a response division and part of an independent social enterprise. This is more than food and is part of a supportive services platform to help people get sustained in their own individual way. With up to 94% success rate and seeing once those receiving free Looprun response bags to returning to stores as shoppers with baskets full. These are the impact stories created when all come together to do good for good. Service users are signposted to Looprun mostly from referrals including professionals in social and healthcare. Looprun provides free non perishables, perishable food, toiletries, and brand new clothing to people facing a temporary challenge. Whatever supermarkets, stores, and retailers can do is turned into a grateful donation to a neighbour in need. This is a response to real people in real-time. No food is banked providing a direct in and out service. We believe if the food is stored then a person in need is not getting any food, hence we provide an instant response and instant impact service. Looprun has access to professional volunteers who carry out a confidential support service to people in need. From homeless shelters, hostels, sheltered housing, care homes, soup kitchens and schools. This is a non voucher, free and confidential service. This means Looprun can reach more people in need with food donations. Anyone that receives a Looprun bag of essential food items is sustained thus creating a loop cycle. All are invited to become part of these sustainable stories in your local community. For further information and gallery access on the impact of Looprun please visit: Website: https://www.looprun-sciv.online/