A community supermarket aimed at supporting people experiencing food poverty has opened in Great Yarmouth.
Sally’s Store, which is run by The Salvation Army, will be located at the Peggotty Road Community Centre. As well as access to affordable, quality food, customers will also be able to get support and advice on things like budgeting. A drop-in area, which will be used by multiple different agencies, will open shortly.
The Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Cllr Adrian Thompson, will officially open the store at an opening ceremony at 10am on Friday 29 April.
Captain Marie Burr, right, leader of the town branch of the church and charity, said the new store will provide residents in Great Yarmouth with access to affordable, quality food. With five foodbanks currently operating in Great Yarmouth, Marie said she believes it’s the right time for Sally’s Store to open.
She explained: “Sally’s Store is open to residents of Great Yarmouth. After joining, all items will be for sale at wholesale prices or below – everything will cost less than shop or supermarket prices. A lot of people have lost their jobs in the pandemic and need some extra help. Something like Sally’s Store is a step on from food bank as people get back on their feet and helps them gain more control over their lives.
“We hope to look at introducing things like food hygiene courses, cooking courses and to open up the café. The focus will be on healthy cooking and eating. We hope to move some of our food bank clients to the supermarket.”
The Salvation Army and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, who are partnering for the project, are confident it will make a difference to local people. The store is the second community supermarket to open in the borough, following the launch of Shrublands Community Food Club in Gorleston last year. Both centres are being supported by the Norfolk Community Foundation as well as the Borough Council.
The Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Cllr Adrian Thompson, said: “I know how important it is for people to be able to get good quality, affordable food to feed their families. We have some impressive community foodbanks in the borough, and I am very grateful to everyone that supports them – but Sally’s Store does something a bit different. It gives people more control over the food they can get for their family, putting them in charge of their own budgeting and planning.”
Sally’s Store will be open from 10am to 12 noon, Mondays to Fridays.
The pictures are courtesy of The Salvation Army.
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Tony Rothe, 21/04/2022
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