19/11/2020
The Food Store opens its doors in Limborough Gardens, Tower Hamlets. The first of its kind in the borough; the pilot scheme enables eligible families to shop for their groceries at a fraction of the price.
Residents pay a small weekly membership fee of £3.50 giving them access to a significant value of surplus food.
Ongoing membership is conditional on engagement with support services such as debt, welfare and benefits advice agencies.
Members are referred based on need by partner agencies and housing associations.
Food Store advisors will refer them to support services to address their underlying needs and maximise income.
Memberships run for three months and are subject to engagement with support services to ensure participants’ progress.
Offering longer-term support than food banks and a greater choice of produce, the aim is to increase household stability by offering low-cost food alongside sustainable solutions to improve participants’ finances, wellbeing and debt management.
Burdett Football Club (BFC), one of the lead organisations of the Burdett Mutual Aid group during the height of the pandemic, is delivering the scheme. It is supported by housing association Poplar HARCA and funded by Tower Hamlets Council.
Food insecurity is affecting a growing number of residents in the borough, especially lone parents and the unemployed. Healthy food can be unaffordable for low-income residents often due to pockets of “food deserts” in the area, meaning a lack of shops that sell healthy affordable food within a reachable distance.
The council are funding the pilot project which runs until October 2021.
Referring Agencies
- London Borough Tower Hamlets / Local advice agencies
- Tower Hamlets Community Advice Network
- Job Centre Plus
- Refuges
- Health centres
- Faith institutions
- Registered Social Landlords
To learn more about the service and eligibility requirements contact:
Masoom Ahmed
thefoodstoreburdett@outlook.com
