People struggling to afford to buy food in and around Sheringham are being invited to sign up to a new discount food shop run by The Salvation Army in the town.
The club was set up by the church and charity in the town in partnership with the Norfolk Community Foundation and sells food at substantially reduced prices to help people struggling during the ongoing cost of living crisis. Some free fresh fruit and vegetables are also available. Anyone can join if they are finding it hard to put food on the table and members simply have to pay a membership fee of £5 every six months.
Following a successful three-month trial run, local leaders from The Salvation Army and the Norfolk Community Foundation – who are providing funding for the club – came together for the official opening of the shop, which is already welcoming around 50 people every week.
Alex Bishop is leader of The Salvation Army in Sheringham and said he is delighted at how things have gone so far. “These are difficult and unusual times for everyone, which is why we have opened up the scheme to anyone who feels they are struggling to afford food right now. Our food club will operate alongside other progammes we run, such as our food bank emergency provision and our coal and logs programme.”
Simon Fenn is community manager at Sheringham Salvation Army and said the official opening was a day to remember. “It really brought the town together and there were a lot of people buzzing around and chatting – it was a really inspiring, lovely day. The club is a gathering point for relationship building and joining the dots. It’s an excellent vehicle for mission and for spreading God’s love.”
Norfolk Community Foundation CEO Claire Cullens said she was delighted that her organisation was able to support The Sheringham Food Club. “As one of the 17 affordable food hubs in our Nourishing Norfolk Network, the Sheringham Food Club brings us another step closer to ensuring no one in Norfolk goes hungry. The hub will also link people to support that will help them escape food insecurity, delivering long-term impacts across the community.”
The food club is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm and on Fridays from 1pm to 5pm at The Salvation Army, Cremer Street, Sheringham, NR26 8DZ.
For more information, visit: salvationarmy.org.uk/sheringham
To read our previous story about the food club, click here.
The top picture shows Howard Russell and Claire Cullens opening The Sheringham Food Club. The other picture shows the inside of the shop. Both photos are courtesy of the Salvation Army.
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Tony Rothe, 21/03/2023
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