A North East foodbank is launching a new initiative to help struggling Newcastle communities cope with the eye-watering cost of food shopping.
The Newcastle West End Foodbank recently opened its first pantry – a shop where members can pay £5 per visit to get around £20 worth of items. The co-operative scheme has been running on a Tuesday morning at the Blakelaw Community Centre since April, with the aim of preventing more residents from falling into food poverty as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, and there are now plans to take it across the city.
While latest figures have shown that the food prices are rising at a slower speed, food inflation was still at 14.6% in June and supermarket bosses have come under pressure to pass on savings to customers.
Read More: West End Foodbank reports busiest month in 10-year history amid city's 'staggering' need for help
Pantry member Kim has been using the Blakelaw pantry since it opened, as she tried to cut down on the cost of buying the gluten and dairy-free produce she needs, and has felt “empowered” by the experience. She said: “I have never been to a foodbank. There have been times when I perhaps should have gone, but was probably a bit embarrassed – I know you shouldn’t be but you are made to feel like you are less than by the people in authority.
“But coming here gives you that dignity because you feel like you are paying your way and getting to choose what you want.”
With the money she has saved on her food shopping, the 46-year-old has been able to buy an electric blanket so she can stay warm next winter without sending her heating bills rocketing. She added: “It [the pantry] does change your life – I know that sounds dramatic, but it does. I have never felt belittled by coming here, if anything it makes you feel empowered because you are looking after yourself and doing it the right way.”
More than 70 people have signed up to use the Blakelaw pantry since it launched and there are plans to set up a similar scheme in Walker this August, plus two more elsewhere in Newcastle by the end of the year. Foodbank bosses are keen to reduce demand on their usual services, having recently reported the busiest month in its 10-year history.
Gemma Whaley, the charity's operations manager, said: “The idea is that, because demand for the foodbank has been so high, we wanted to set this up to stop people from falling into a situation where they need a foodbank. Having this £5 offer give them the dignity to choose what they want while also saving people money at the same time.”
Michaela Hastings, runs Mrs T’s Cafe at the community centre, said the pantry had “brought the whole community here together”. She added: “People are obviously still struggling and we are in hard times. It is great that people can come and get a weekly shop for next to nothing. It has been a really good asset to Blakelaw.”
The project is part of the Your Local Pantry network, which has around 100 different sites across the UK, and it the first one to open in Newcastle. A similar scheme also runs at the Cedarwood Trust on the Meadow Well estate in North Shields.
