Since it launched in September 2022, our Community Food Club has served 457 residents with discounted food and essentials! It was also recently featured in The Times.

Our Food Club provides an important option for people struggling with the Cost-of-Living crisis even though many of them are working. For £5 fee they receive 20 tokens to buy items they need ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables to cleaning products, which typically are worth over £20.

We caught up with our shoppers and volunteers on the impact that the Food Club has for them.

What our shoppers said:

• The money they save through the Food Club means they can afford to pay their utility bills 
• The Food Club allows them to buy treats for their children that are otherwise unaffordable for them in supermarkets 
• The Food Club allows them to treat themselves to favourite brands at low cost whereas in supermarkets they can only afford the store brand items
• They find our staff and volunteers welcoming and kind 
• They love being able to choose items that is appropriate and suitable for their current needs
• They have built friendship and a sense of community by seeing regular faces who they can say hello to when they meet in the streets
• For people who have suddenly lost their jobs, being able to buy essentials cheaply has softened the impact

The Food Club is run by local volunteers, some who use the service themselves. One volunteer summed up our Food Club in this way: “Food is the sustenance, but the friendship and sense of community here is a healing balm.”

This is what our other volunteers said:

• Volunteering helped them make friends
• Volunteering has stopped them feeling isolated and lonely 
• Some retirees said volunteering gave structure to their life and something to look forward to now they’re no longer in a work routine 

Our Food Club is open to all E6 residents, whether they are working or receiving benefits. Alongside this, our Foodbank continues to serve people in crisis through a referral scheme. Find out more about all our Community Support services here. Learn about our volunteering opportunities here.