New community food project for Ardwick
PHOTO CALL NOTICE
What: Launch of a new food membership scheme to tackle food poverty in Ardwick
Where: Cornbrook House, 217 Stockport Rd, Manchester M12 4DY
When: The shop will open at 11am with the official ribbon cutting taking place at 1pm on Thursday 20 April 2017
Who: The launch will be attended by members of the community, Coverdale and Newbank Community Association volunteers and officially opened by Cllr Bernard Priest and Cllr Mavis Smitheman.
Why: To promote the opening of a new community food membership scheme providing a range of food, toiletries and other household essentials at heavily discounted prices for members.
New community food project for Ardwick
A year on from the launch of Anson Community Shop, a successful community food membership scheme in Rusholme, One Manchester and Healthy Me Healthy Communities are teaming up again to help address food poverty issues, this time in Ardwick with support from Coverdale and Newbank Community Association.
The Coverdale and Newbank Community Food Project, which will give local people in one of the most deprived wards in the city the opportunity to buy food, toiletries and household essentials at hugely discounted prices, will be officially opened by Ardwick councillor and deputy leader, Cllr Bernard Priest, and fellow Ardwick councillor, Cllr Mavis Smitheman, on Thursday 20 April.
Membership will be available to people living within a 15-minute walk of the scheme, with members paying just £2.50 for a basket of surplus food items worth more than £12 supplied by Fare-Share, Tesco and local donations.
Based at Cornbrook House and funded by One Manchester and Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Investment Fund, the project will open from 11am until 2pm every Thursday.
The project will be run entirely by resident-volunteers from Coverdale and Newbank Community Association passionate about providing low cost food options and addressing loneliness in the neighbourhood.
Rich Browning, chief executive of Healthy Me Healthy Communities, said: “This is such a fantastic project and hits so many of the issues people are facing like poverty, cooking on a budget, loneliness and mental health, as well as reducing the amount of food sent to landfill.”
Dave Power, group chief executive at One Manchester, said: “Anson Community Shop has been open for a year now and has made a real impact in helping address food poverty but also in bringing the community together and providing opportunities for volunteers to access training and gain new skills. It’s an example of how One Manchester can work with local organisations and volunteers to make a real difference in people’s lives. Having seen its success in Rusholme, we’re delighted to be working with Coverdale and Newbank Community Association and Healthy Communities to bring what we hope will be an equally successful project to the people of Ardwick.”
Elaine Lovesy, chair of Coverdale and Newbank Community Association, said: “There is a huge need in this area; not only will the project help people living in poverty but it will bring our community together.”
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Notes to editor
For media enquiries, please contact Laura Lewis on laura.lewis@onemanchester.co.uk / 07526 167 021
About One Manchester
One Manchester owns and manages 12,500 homes in central, south and east Manchester.
We make a difference to people and places by creating opportunities, transforming communities and changing lives.
As an organisation that values an imaginative approach, we are constantly seeking new and innovative ways of investing, creating partnerships and bringing people together to make a long-lasting, positive impact on our communities. We call this social innovation.
These are exciting times for the city of Manchester and the wider region. We have ambitious plans to build on the success of Manchester, to ensure growth continues in the housing, services and partnerships that we provide.
In developing new homes and business opportunities, we aim to offer more choice, quality and value to our existing and new customers alike.
To keep up-to-date with the latest news at One Manchester visit: https://www.onemanchester.co.uk/whats-going-on/press-releases?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=press%20release&utm_campaign=PressRelease_Engagement
About Healthy Me Healthy Communities:
Healthy Me Healthy Communities (HMHC) is a social enterprise based in Manchester co-producing health and well-being services that empower, educate and inspire for a long, healthy and happy life. HMHC adopts a coproduction approach, involving local people in the community provision they enjoy and would like to take part in, creating resourceful communities for everyone.
Anson Community Shop successes to date:
- More than 150 members are now signed up to the scheme.
- 10 volunteers have been recruited and trained in a wide variety of skills, with nine still involved
- More than 70 hours of volunteering are recorded each week.
- The shop is now open two days a week to meet the extra demand.
- The group raised £1000 via crowdfunding and £1000 in other grants/funding (MCC NIF, own fundraising) to buy extra stock and fixtures.
- The shop now makes approximately £200 profit each month which is reinvested into the community and has provided further equipment, extra stock and events.
- Six healthy food workshops have been delivered.
- Eating habits have changed on the estate with selection of healthier items increasing steadily since the workshops.
- At least six deliveries take place each week to those who are isolated.
- 330kg of food waste each week is saved from landfill which equals approximately £60 per week plus VAT in monetary terms.
- Anson Community House previously issued between three and 11 food bank vouchers a week but despite still being available, no food bank vouchers have been issued.
- Take up of associated activities at Anson Community House house has increased by 40%.
A recent survey of members found:
- 83% say they now eat more fruit and vegetables.
- 88% say the shop has enabled them to eat healthier.
- 96% say the shop has helped them budget.
- 96% say the shop has helped them to meet new people.
- 11% on joining scored 5 on eating healthy (always), this figure is now 40%.
- 15% on joining scored themselves as a 1 ‘I do not feel positive at all’. Nobody now scores 1 with 100% of people scoring themselves as 3 or 4.
- There has been a movement from 3.1 to 4.6 in terms of feeling active.
Feedback from members and volunteers:
"I like the fruit and vegetables - the different range that you might not think of buying. I have tried peppers for the first time and I now get wholemeal bread for the first time for the family." (Shop member)
“It brings people together from different sections of the community together." (Shop member)
“It has completely changed my life and is the best thing I have ever done. To help so many people each week is the best feeling and I have learnt so much. It’s given me a purpose” (Volunteer)