Message from New Forest District Council
In partnership with FareShare, Food Banks and Citizens Advice New Forest, we have implemented a Food Larder at various locations across the district. The Food Larder is a community larder run by FareShare and volunteers. FareShare obtain surplus food from supermarkets and other food outlets, e.g. ASDA, Tesco, CO-OP and Allied Bakeries, and Food Banks will top this up if needed. It is a membership scheme aimed at helping those on a low income by making their money go further by reducing food shopping bills. Membership depends on household size, with weekly subscription costs being:
£2.50 per week for a single person – 10 products plus fruit and vegetables
£3.50 per week for a 2 person plus household – 15 products plus fruit and vegetables
£5.00 per week for a 4 person plus household – 25 products plus fruit and vegetables
The value of the “bag” is worth considerably more than the subscription and Food Larders tend to offer a greater variety of products, including fresh/frozen foods (which Food Banks do not provide). A membership form needs to be completed.
We are working with partner organisations to sign post customers where appropriate and we will be contacting regular food bank users to encourage them to use this scheme, most people want to pay something! I have also arranged for a representative from Citizens Advice to be present at each Food Larder (restrictions dependent) to offer advice and information and I aim to build on this to provide further support, e.g. information about fuel poverty, to provide holistic support.
Our current Food Larders are detailed in the attached flyer and we are already supporting lots of families across the district.