North West-based poverty charity, SVP Chorley Buddies, saved more than 50 tonnes of food which would have otherwise gone to waste in 2023.
Run by Centre Manager Hannah Sherlock, the befriending community group sits in one of the most deprived areas of the UK where it operates a heavily discounted and dignified shopping experience for those struggling to buy everyday essentials without having to turn to a food bank.
Taking place every weekday in a different location across Chorley town, seeking to make it accessible for all, members pay an initial £10 joining fee and then £5 per shop where customers will fill their bags with everyday essentials in the likes of food, toiletries and pet supplies.
More than 1,000 individuals are now supported every week by this initiative and demand is only increasing according to Hannah. She says:
“The demand for our service is increasing with further local people using this service now more than ever. We work with FareShare to collect and distribute surplus food to our members, as well as collecting surplus food from local supermarkets and businesses to save them from going to landfill.
“Last year thanks to the shoppers who came to us, we managed to save more than 50 tonnes of food, 780kg of pet food, and 380kg of toiletries from going to landfill.”
The St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales) is part of an international Christian voluntary network dedicated to tackling poverty. For the last 180 years we have been working to tackle poverty and its causes by bringing a blend of services and support to people in need in our local communities.
Following the announcement of The Coronation Food Project by King Charles III Charitable Fund last November, the team at SVP Chorley Buddies have since applied for £30,000 in funding to help continue to run the service that helps so many in the North West.
The Project was launched in a new bid to tackle food insecurity across the UK by working with food-industry charities by supporting their efforts to reduce waste and feed families.