Another community pantry opens up
A NEW community pantry has opened in Bryntirion, Bridgend, to support residents who may be struggling.
Offering people the chance to buy food at reduced cost, the pantry at Bryntirion and Laleston Community Centre, Mount Pleasant, opened recently.
Those using the service are also given recipes to encourage them to cook from scratch, as well as information about community services and budgeting.
Food is supplied by charity FareShare Cymru, which works to reduce waste by redistributing produce that would otherwise be sent to landfill. The food is all fresh and within use-by dates.
Organised by Bridgend council’s Rural Development team and delivered by Eclipse Wales Services with support from the Welsh Government, pantries are available across the county borough. There is no means-testing.
At the pantries in Pencoed, Brackla and Bettws, pre-packed bags of food are available to buy, while the branch in Maesteg delivers pre-packed bags of food. Other pantries offer residents the chance to select their own items.
Councillor Charles Smith, cabinet member for education and regeneration, said: “It’s great to see these community pantries being set up to support local people who are struggling.
“The newest pantry at Bryntirion and Laleston Community Centre, which has had support towards its refurbishment from the council’s community development fund, offers reduced priced produce to help ensure no-one goes hungry.
“This fantastic community service helps to stop edible food from being wasted and ending up in landfill.”
Pantries are available at Bryntirion, Aberkenfig, Bettws, Blaengarw, Brackla, Bryncethin, Cefn Cribwr, Lewistown, Maesteg, Nantymoel, Pencoed, and Porthcawl. For more information about the community pantries, call 07544 026265.