BASKET OF SHOPPING FOR JUST £3 AT A ‘SOCIAL SUPERMARKET’
Charity project so popular that it is moving from two days to three
A SOCIAL supermarket offering a week’s shopping for £3 has become so popular it needs to open three days a week.
The Community Pantry, in Crewe, provides food and household essentials for people struggling financially.
Its 80 members pay a £3-a-week subscription – to help cover overheads – and are entitled to a basket of shopping worth between £15 and £25.
Currently the supermarket opens on Mondays and Saturdays, but increased demand means it will open on a Friday from late January.
Head of operations, Natasha Maroni, said: “We have members who are in debt or are on low incomes and they will come to us for 13 weeks, when we will review how they are doing and if they are doing better.
“We have one lady who, when she came to us, was eating dog biscuits and feeding her children on instant mash potato.
“Everything in the store is labelled and people get to pick what they want. They get one high value item a week. Stock changes every week and we can’t guarantee what will be in – we get a lot of donations from Marks and Spencer and Morrisons in Nantwich.
“The Christmas period was very busy and we have had loads of messages because we have just re-opened membership after closing it.”
Natasha says the volunteers are now getting to know the members, as some of them come to their first review period.
She added: “Some of them are now approaching the 13 weeks and will be having a review to see if their situation has improved. If they have got better and managed to pay some of their debts, they can stay another 13 weeks.”
The Community Pantry, in Coronation Crescent, currently caters to 38 people every Monday and 42 every Saturday. If a member misses a week, they still have to pay their £3 to cover costs.
Members, most of whom are referred by Citizens Advice or Cheshire East Council, are entitled to 10 items a week.
Operated by charity Chance Changing Lives, it is the only social supermarket in Cheshire East.
And its members, who all sign confidentiality agreements when joining the programme, say they would be stuck without it.
One customer said: “It is absolutely brilliant. It is a vital service and if the volunteers have the time they will talk to you. It’s always busy and is the best thing I ever signed up to because you pay a bit back and they help us out.”
Another added: “The Community Pantry helps me out and my big problem has been Universal Credit. That messes up a lot and there have been times when it has missed my payment.”
Any individuals or shops wishing to donate goods should call 01270 211000 or email chancegroup2018@gmail.com Picture: Pete Stonier