Our Community Investment team has turned The Round About Cafe into a food distribution hub to support communities through COVID-19.
Our fantastic Community Investment team has turned The Round About Cafe into a food distribution hub. Partners and volunteers have been donating dried food and cleaning materials which are being put together into packs for the Good Grub Club at Home initiative as well as for the foodbank for the Mansbridge community.
Our Good Grub Club is well known in some of our communities as a food club for children, designed to combat holiday hunger. It normally runs throughout the school holidays, supporting low-income families by providing a free meal and food hamper, while teaching children about healthy eating and exercise.
Partners, volunteers and the team are all working together to support individuals and families in both Mansbridge and Millbrook.
While the club was initially set up to support families in Millbrook throughout the school holidays, our community team has temporarily redirected the club’s focus to supporting our most vulnerable customers across the whole of Southampton. The new framework is quickly being developed and is known as Good Grub Club at Home. These times, while difficult for all, are particularly difficult for those who have no support from family, friends or neighbours, who have financial difficulties, or are unable to get to the shops for themselves. Many families also rely on free school meals to help with the cost of food during term time. and so with children now at home all day, this time is particularly difficult for some.
Using food bought by Abri as well as food donated from Fare Share, the team are packing and delivering hampers to out most vulnerable customers. At the moment, the club is aiming to support 20 families a week in Southampton.
Talking about the initaitve, Paula Windebank said: “Working as part of the team on the Good Grub Club At Home project has enabled me to do something practical and helpful for our residents. Providing this kind of support gives the team something to focus our energy on during a really overwhelming time, while also helping our most vulnerable residents who are struggling with food and provisions”.
With huge thanks to Fare Share, local volunteers, Mansel Park Nursery and food donated from The Round About Cafe, for the generous amount of food and supplies donated to the cause.