Kirriemuir Food Hub
The Pitch
Problem statement
In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity in the UK. With steep increases in energy costs, many are making stark choices between eating and heating. Food insecurity can cause significant anxiety and distress. We hear that people skip meals and eat minimally to be able to afford fuel and rent. The pressure felt can negatively impact their lives making parenting challenging. Parents will choose to feed their children first, resulting in them not having enough to eat themselves. Approximately 11.3 million people experienced food hub in the last year, meaning they have run out of food, been unable to afford more, gone hungry.
Solution
We will purchase food from FareShare which is passed on to our customers. FareShare distribute surplus food from supermarkets to organisations like ours at greatly reduced rates. Our customers will have access to a wide variety of food including fruit and vegetables, some of which will be free and some they can purchase for very little. Our project goal is to reduce hunger, remove the stigma associated with food insecurity helping people to feel more independent by being able to choose food and contribute to the hub. We provide a welcoming non-judgmental space for people to access food. The expected impact being, less people going hungry combined with saving good quality food from landfill.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
We were established 3 years ago during covid, we know our community well. Our volunteers are trained including food hygiene, they all live locally and bring a wealth of knowledge to the hub. We have recently secured premises in the town centre which we share with the Rotary Clothing hub, people can access us easily and can browse and choose what they need. Our committee have lived and work experience of the issues facing our customers, they and our volunteers keep up to date with new initiatives designed to support people in need, we offer support and signposting. We have almost 30 volunteers including our committee of 9. We are the only organisation in Kirriemuir offering food support.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| FareShare food purchasing | £5,000 |
Beneficiaries
500 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
Everyone can shop in our hub free of stigma, our volunteers provide a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for everyone. We provide support for our members, signposting them to organisations that can offer further support with issues such as housing, fuel poverty, health and wellbeing. Our service is often the difference between having access to healthy nutritious food and not. We have a pay ahead scheme which allows members to add money to their account when they have it, then use it throughout the following weeks. The expected impact of our project is that our customers will be able to budget and that they will become more resilient when dealing with their food insecurity. People will have access to a wide variety of food, advice and support. By accessing the food hub they will feel supported and more able to deal with the other challenges that they are facing. We see an average of 30 customers a day, many of whom attend daily, without our project, these people would be hungry.
Track record
Our project is ongoing, we are particularly proud of our move to main street premises, which has enabled us to have a more open space to create a shopping experience for customers rather than being handed a box of food which may not necessarily include things that they would usually eat. We have people from all walks of life accessing our hub and we hope that because of this, we are helping to create a more tolerant community.