A Lanarkshire football club's community food initiative initially set up to help a handful of hard-up people is now seeing dozens come through the gate every week.
Newmains United FC launched Dallies Community Larder back at the start of May this year with the aim of providing an emergency food point and since then demand has steadily increased.
Unlike a lot of other organisations’ services the larder is open to everyone.
James Wynn, who took over as managing director at the football club 10 months ago, is not surprised that demand has risen and is encouraging anyone who feels they need anything to pop down to the container at Victoria Park and take whatever they need.
He told Lanarkshire Live : “Dallies Community Larder is open to all, and there are no questions asked. It is getting really busy now.
"You’re talking 30 to 35 people a night coming through. But, while people will be happy being able to get the food, some won’t be able to afford the gas or electricity to cook.
“There are people coming through the gate and we know they are working, but they’re having to pay bills and everything else and have nothing left to buy food. That’s the situation we’re in now.
"It’s a sad state of affairs.
“Everyone is feeling it now. And we could all be in the same position the way things are going.”
James, 46, is grateful for the generosity of others in the Newmains community.
“Tracey from Paul’s Parcels has been helping us out a lot and has donated to us so that we can help out people with hampers so they can have a Christmas dinner,” he continued.
“And Brian Jordan who owns Jordan Electrics has been really good with us, to both the football club and the community larder.
“We also have two 2007 teams, a 2008 team and a 2010 team who also have collections every now and again, and the parents are bringing in stuff. We can’t do that every week though.”
The larder is a fine example of “give and take” with a number of those who have turned to the facility in their hour of need returning to donate food at a later point, giving a hand up to others who find themselves in a similar position to where they’ve already been.
James, who juggles running the football club with driving a taxi for a living, took over the running of Newmains United in February and is trying his best to make football accessible for children and as affordable as possible for everyone.
James’ wife Joanne, who fills the role of CEO, has been busy along with Events Manager Carole Martin wrapping up gifts for the young players.
“Parents are struggling to pay for fees and some clubs are charging them for kits and things like that," James said.
“Kids who aren’t getting a game with other teams are given a chance by us, it’s good to get them involved.
“Since I came in we’ve started a few more teams up at different ages and now have eight.”
Although he’s always been involved in football at grass roots level, James says he left a coaching role at a club in Lanarkshire his son was playing for after being told by another coach he couldn’t field a boy who hadn’t bought a training kit.
“I ended up taking 14 of the boys with me and started up my own team and it just grew from there,” said James.
“It’s like a full time job now. But I’ve stepped back from the coaching side so that I can deal with the overall running of the club.”
The community larder is open on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6.30pm to 8pm, and on Sundays from 11am to 1pm.
More information is available on their Facebook page.
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