‘It’s about community and food’: New pantry opens in Whitley Wood
A SOUTH Reading community project was launched last week to ensure residents have access to high quality food items.
With the help of councillors and High Sheriff of Berkshire, Reading Pantries opened its latest site at Whitley Wood Community Centre, which will provide a novel way to get the grocery shopping done for those who receive Universal Credit or are on low incomes.
Taking place on Tuesdays from 1pm-3pm, the project is the organisation’s fourth location to be established in Reading, and is made possible by the work of Reading Family Church and Faith Christian Group.
Andy Dickens, director of Faith Christian Group which also runs foodbank ReadiFood, said: “It’s fantastic.
“For a long time this community has felt ostracised and separate from the rest of Reading, so we’re able to come here and show people that they matter to us, and also to Jesus, and we can hopefully make a difference to them, by providing them with lots of food at reduced prices.”
Once users have signed up to the pantry, they will be able to access approximately £25 worth of items, paying just £5 to do so.
He explained that the pantry will also look to help people in other aspects of their lives, depending on their needs. Working with partners, it will look to address issues such as debt and getting back into work.
A community cafe will run concurrently with the pantry ensuring that users can get to know volunteers and other residents.
“In some ways, I think the cafe is more important than the pantry, because I want to see the community connect together, just like in the old days,” Andy explained.
“People can feel scared, worried and afraid to come out. We want to draw them out and give them that community cohesion.”
The High Sheriff of Berkshire, Simon Muir, delivered the opening speech and was onhand to cut the ribbon before the pantry’s first user, Amanda Nash, stepped in to collect her items.
Whitley councillor and resident Alice Mpofu-Coles was full of praise for the project. She said: “It’s quite emotional for me. For a long time, we’ve heard the stories from people in this ward talking about food – to think it’s right on their doorstep now, and that they can come and have a cup of coffee, to sit and socialise with people, is fantastic.
“This is really, really good for the community. They are very excited, they can’t actually believe it’s happening because they never thought this would get there. There’s been a lot of promises which haven’t been kept in their eyes.
“I’m so proud that everybody has put this together. It’s amazing.”
Alice was joined by fellow Whitley councillor and former Mayor for Reading Rachel Eden.
“It’s really important to have these pantries opening across the whole town.
“For those in Whitley Wood, we know that they will be some people who are feeling the pinch right now. To have somewhere they can come to, where the food is cheap and where they can have a cup of tea, is huge.
“There’s a lot of chat, a lot of fun, people are having a nice time. It’s about community as well as food.”
■ For more information, visit: www.whitleywoodpantry.org.uk