Employment charity launches Community Hub to serve affordable food to Walsall residents

08 Dec 2022

Published in: Member News

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Employment charity launches Community Hub to serve affordable food to Walsall residents

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West Midlands-based employment support specialists Steps To Work has announced a new partnership with Your Local Pantry, a membership food club and neighbourhood hub, which will be opening a Community Hub, for people living in the Walsall area.

Situated in Pleck, the Community Hub will offer residents the opportunity to purchase highly discounted food items and hygiene products. The Hub, which will be opening its doors on Friday 2nd December, aims to help ease some of the financial pressures many people are currently facing due to the rising cost of living. Membership to the Pantry is free for anyone who lives within a 1-mile radius and members are asked to pay just £5 per visit to take ten items from the shop - on average, this will amount to approximately £30 worth of shopping. The money raised will be reinvested into the running of the Community Hub.

In addition to affordable food and hygiene, Steps To Work will also be using the Community Hub to deliver employment support, as well as providing help with accessing benefits, housing and budgeting for personal finances. Volunteers from Steps To Work will help staff the Community Hub which will be open from 11am – 3pm every Wednesday during the soft launch period. In the New Year, opening times will be expanded to fulfil demand. Access to the Pantry is not means-tested or benefit dependent, allowing locals in need or struggling to put food on the table to access affordable food. The Pantry relies on the generosity of donations and so far, the following organisations will be providing food items: Warburtons, Hygiene Bank, FareShare, FareShare Go and Hischurch.

Bhanu Dhir, Chief Executive Officer at Steps To Work, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working together with Your Local Pantry to provide those in the Walsall area with affordable food and toiletry items. We understand the pressures many families are under and with food costs continuing to soar – our team at Steps To Work is looking forward to giving back further to the local community.”

Shabir Jivraj, Your Local Pantry project officer, said: “Pantries are places where communities thrive and grow. They bring people together around food, foster friendships, loosen the grip of poverty and contribute to happier, healthier lives. More and more organisations around the country are seeing Pantries as sustainable, dignified, positive solutions for their neighbourhoods, and they are often springboards for further opportunities and ideas.

We’re delighted to be partnering with Steps To Work in Walsall and look forward to meeting the new Pantry members and volunteers.” The Hub is located at 321 Wednesbury Road, Walsall, WS2 9QJ.