Surplus food shop to help needy families

ASTORE selling surplus supermarket groceries could be coming to one of Runcorn’s most hard-pressed neighbourhoods.

Halton Council has identified Windmill Hill as the preferred location for the venture, which would be run by the Community Shop community interest company (CIC).

Products sold at the store are estimated to be 70% cheaper than from high street retailers.

A report published ahead of today’s executive board meeting said the outlet would form part of a proposed health and wellbeing hub for the estate, following the closure of its doctor’s practice last year.

It said that residents across the borough would be eligible to apply to become members and use the store to buy cheap goods to eat to aid in tackling food poverty.

Community Shop also runs an in-house service that teaches CV writing skills and budgeting, and offers debt advice, cookery classes and employability and skills training.

From 11am-2pm every day it serves a two-course meal.

The council has estimated that the venture would create 15 jobs: 12 retail, two mentors and one cook.

Community Shop is a subsidiary of Community Shop Ltd, which has been running for more than 40 years.

The report said the firm handles more than 30,000 tonnes of surplus food a year and gives companies the chance to avert creating waste for landfill.

Key firms in the supply chain include Tesco, Asda, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, The Co-operative, Iceland, and Marks & Spencer.

Halton Council is now mulling how to fund the project, with anticipated grants from the National Lottery, landfill tax funds and The Power To Change Trust being explored as options.

According to the local authority’s ward profile, Windmill Hill has an out-of-work benefits claimant count of 20.1% – twice the Halton average, and four times the number of carers as the North West average.