Food store helping to make ends meet
IN response to the rising cost of living the CBSA (Centre for Building Action) has opened a community food store in Burry Port.
The store, on Station Road, is in partnership with Pembrey and Burry Port Town Council and will provide the community with weekly access to healthy food for only £3.50 per week, food which normally retails at between £15 and £20.
The food is sourced from a variety of suppliers with a large element of it being surplus food from supermarkets that is still within its sell-by date.
This is supplemented by food sourced at low prices from whole sellers plus seasonal vegetables harvested from the CBSA’s own growing schemes. As well as being a low-cost way of shopping it also offers a low impact alternative to members of the community concerned about the environmental impact of waste.
It makes use of surplus food provided by FareShare and local food stores and any product that is not used is sent to CBSA’s community composting site in Machynys, or used to make hot meals for donation, so there is little or no waste from the store.
Michael Theodoulou, chief executive of the CBSA, said: “As a social justice charity, it’s vital that we’re able to support communities with life’s basics and this store does just that.
“It gives the local community access to great quality food at accessible prices, which is so important given prices are rising across the board and benefits are being cut, causing people a huge amount of anxiety.”
During the height of the pandemic, with funding provided by WCVA’s Third Sector Emergency and Recovery Funds, CBSA, in conjunction with the town council, was able to roll out a food delivery scheme to people experiencing hardship and isolation.
Building on this work it receives funding from the Peoples Postcode Trust, that enabled the move to Station Road.
Huw Thomas, clerk of the town council, said: “Pembrey and Burry Port Town Council are partners in this initiative in that they offered a home for the project during its initial set up, and we continue to support its work particularly with the recruitment of volunteers and signposting to its services.”
Deputy mayor, Cllr Karen Morris,
said: “It was important for the town council to partner on this project because the store is offering something that is needed in the community; access to high quality, low cost food.
“Many of the families living here are concerned about making ends meet and putting food on the table, and the store helps to alleviate those concerns.
“It also provides a no waste, low impact alternative to regular shopping.”
The store is open from 11am to 5pm every Tuesday and often has a queue of people waiting for it to open.
Burry Port resident Paula Regler, who visits the store each week, said: “It is a great help in making our pension money go a bit further. We take what we need to for the week and it helps us make ends meet.”