A new community pantry based in Lillington has opened as a direct response to increased food insecurity and rising food prices in the local area.
Local charity, Feed The Hungry have partnered with Warwickshire County Council to open Lillington Community Pantry which brings together food support, advice services and adult education.
Lillington East is in the 20% most deprived areas in England according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2019), and the number of adults claiming Universal Credit or Job Seekers allowance in November 2021 was one of the highest in Warwickshire.
The pantry will provide a vital resource for the local community when the cost of living is rising faster than at any time in the last 20 years.
Whilst community pantries meet immediate food needs at the point of crisis, they also empower customers to make nutritious choices for themselves and support them in developing healthy practices. Those who visit are able to shop much like they would at a local supermarket for a small membership fee.
The project has been inspired by work carried out during the pandemic to help individuals and families, and will particularly help to address the issue of affordability and access to food.
In addition, individuals will be given access to wrap-around support and services in the community, through partnerships with organisations including Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), Adult & Community Learning (ACL), and Warwickshire Community & Voluntary Action (WCAVA), reducing their need to travel for help, education, and advice.
Gavin Kibble MBE, Regional Operations Director for Feed The Hungry says, “Community pantries are fundamentally about in-community support where all the local agencies work together to help those in need.
“The pandemic has taught us we must learn to rally together to meet the increased needs of our community, but also work to provide more holistic and sustainable care for those in need. And with the cost of living rising, these services give individuals the opportunity to build up beneficial relationships that will hopefully lead to maintainable, long-term solutions to their situations.”
The success of the community pantry currently operating in Coventry has proven to be an effective model offering holistic support and good quality low-cost food and Warwickshire County Council were eager to replicate the model in other areas.
Warwickshire County Councillor Heather Timms, Chair of the Warwickshire Food Forum, says, “This pilot project with Feed The Hungry will help to address the issue of food poverty in Warwickshire, and in particular affordability and access, and has been inspired by work carried out during the pandemic to help individuals and families, whose decisions can impact their lives in many ways.
“The pandemic led to Warwickshire County Council working with partners across the region to establish a Warwickshire Food Forum, and the Council will soon launch a Food Strategy for the county. Community pantries are just one element of this strategy.”
According to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2019) Lillington is the seventh most deprived area out of 339 in Warwickshire.
Councillor Sarah Boad, Warwickshire County Councillor for Leamington North, says, “I’m pleased that Warwickshire County Council is working with Feed The Hungry to establish the Lillington Community Pantry at the Council’s premises in Pound Lane.
“Community pantries are not just about providing help at the point of crisis but instead offer a more sustainable solution. In addition to access to food, people will be given access to wrap-around support and services in the community, through our partnerships with other organisations, reducing their need to travel for help, education, and advice.”
Feed The Hungry has been developing supply chains across the county to support the increasing demand for food. In helping to tackle inequalities, the pilot initiative will give individuals the opportunity to find the support they need to make sustainable solutions to their situations.
The Lillington Community Pantry is open Thursdays & Fridays, 11am to 3pm at Warwickshire Adult and Community Learning Centre, Pound Lane, Lillington. You can request to join The Lillington Community Pantry by calling 01926 350 800 or emailing lillington@thecommunitypantry.org.uk. You will be contacted by a member of the team and invited to visit the Pantry to complete a Membership Application.
To volunteer at Lillington Community Pantry, get in touch with the team via phone: 01926 350 800 or email: lillington@thecommunitypantry.org.uk
To find out more: www.thecommunitypantry.org.uk