GAIL's Bakery Knutsford

The Very Green Grocery is a project managed by the charity Changing Lives Together (CLT) in Cheshire, focused on making a difference in the lives of local people and having an impact on the wider environment Our organisation empowers and uplifts people in crisis through the following key services: ·       Help Scheme: Providing furniture, beds, and white goods to families in need. ·       Food Distribution Service: Delivering food to local food groups for those struggling to afford essential grocery items. ·       Community Groceries: Offering affordable essentials, warm spaces, and a supportive network to individuals facing food poverty. ·       Community Cafés: Serving a variety of food at exceptionally low prices, in warm spaces, for individuals and families with low income. We are squarely centered on empowering people - helping them regain confidence, learn valuable skills, and regain control of their lives. Our vision is to energise individuals to succeed. Through our volunteering, work experience, and training schemes, we offer personalised support that builds confidence and self-esteem. Our community is diverse, and we reach out to anyone needing help - from young people, individuals with disabilities, and unemployed or unskilled persons, to ex-offenders, or those recovering from mental health episodes. In essence, CLT aids those who need assistance to get back on track. We work extensively across Cheshire in areas ranked in the top 10% most deprived areas in England where data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shows that 19.1% of households – almost one in five - qualify as deprived and live in food poverty. One of our newest additions is a café at our Winsford Hub. Operating in a high-deprivation area, we aim to improve holistic health for our staff, volunteers, and customers. An integral part of the café is in providing our volunteers with a free nutritious meal, providing them sustenance among the socio-economic barriers they face. The café functions under the guidance of a paid staff member who imparts the volunteers' knowledge not just about food preparation, but also customer service and cash handling practices, health, safety, food hygiene, and budgeting. We have expanded our services to take orders from local workplaces and look forward to receiving more food donations that we can utilise to serve wholesome meals. Join us as we continue to foster a resilient community, empowering individuals, and reducing waste through your kind food donations.

We are a Christian charity, working to prevent poverty and relieve its consequences in the WA16 and SK9 postcode areas of Cheshire East. We do this by offering two Food Banks, one in Knutsford and one in Handforth, as well as an affordable Pantry. We are so grateful for donations of non perishable food from local individual people, churches, organisations, businesses and supermarkets so that we can provide emergency food parcels to relieve immediate and urgent need. These donations also provide stock for our affordable Pantry which promotes dignity choice and hope for people who are struggling to make ends meet. The Pantry allows people to pay a membership fee of £6 every time they attend the Pantry and they can choose fresh, frozen, fridge and ambient food which is often worth up to £25. We work with local referral agencies including social prescribers, mental health workers and schools to ensure that the people who are in greatest need are referred to our services. We also work in partnership with Your Local Pantry who have set up over 120 Pantries across England and we are their first Pantry in Cheshire East. Our partnership working extends to the national charity Christians Against Poverty which facilitates us offering a wrap around service for individuals - helping them out of debt, equipping them via the Money course, Life Skills and Job Club (all free of charge). Rather than just being a sticking plaster of offering food, we want to support people to change their circumstances. In addition we run drop in Hope Centres where people can meet to share a meal and spend time in a caring and supportive environment, reducing social isolation. The food and drinks we offer here are all free of charge. We long to see people live independently and free from poverty and with the hope that is found in the Christian faith. We rely on a supply of non perishable and perishable food, groceries and personal items for those in immediate need of support.

The project is an environmentally focused food surplus redistribution initiative operating across South Manchester. The project's primary purpose is to prevent food waste by redistributing good-quality surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, delivering clear environmental benefits while also supporting good-quality surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, delivering clear environmental benefits while also supporting the wider community during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The initiative operates on an open and inclusive basis, with no referral requirements, assessments or eligibility criteria. Food is shared openly to ensure surplus is used efficiently and responsibly, regardless of background or circumstances. This is non-discriminatory approach allows the project to remain focused on waste prevention while offering practical support to anyone seeking to reduce food waste and household food costs. The project is supported by volunteers from all walks of life, including professionals and warm-hearted local parents, who work together to collect, sort and redistribute surplus food. This diverse volunteer base reflects the community-led nature of the initiative and supports its ongoing operation. All food is redistributed free of charge. The project does not charge for its services and does not operate as a commercial or profit-making model.