Foodshare continues at CF61 throughout lockdown

The ReBuild project was set up to help individuals in the Western Vale with experience of ill mental health, by supporting them into volunteering opportunities. The project also runs a get-together each Wednesday, called the Wellbeing Café, which has taken place online since the original lockdown in March 2020. Prior to that, the Café took place at CF61 and featured a Foodshare, where anyone could come and help themselves to still good food that supermarkets threw out at the end of the day, in order to help stop food waste.

Although initially the Covid-19 pandemic put all gatherings at CF61 on hold, the ReBuild team and their volunteers were thrilled to learn that the Foodshare was still permitted to take place, and so resumed in September 2020. Since then it has grown to be an integral, and indeed essential part of the community, not only helping to stop food waste, but now also meeting the need of local people struggling to afford sufficient food.

The CF61 Foodshare now works with Fareshare Cymru, the charity ‘The Need to Feed’, and a number of local supermarkets towards helping local people, in a climate that has increased the hardship of many. The local community and the congregation of St Illtyd’s Church have also been extremely generous with donations, particularly with additional items contributed to the Christmas and New Year Foodshares, held on the 24th and 31st of December.

ReBuild project worker Leanne Taylor commented “We have definitely seen a rise in need here, be it for a temporary solution or an ongoing helping hand. Foodshare is providing an invaluable service to the local community at this time. It is also great to be able to provide an opportunity for our volunteers to contribute to something worthwhile, and they have loved being back helping out.”

The Foodshare takes place every Thursday between 1 and 2pm and everyone is welcome to come and help themselves to help stop food waste.  The team are also keen to hear from anyone interested in joining the team of volunteers who provide this service.

Please book to attend Foodshare each week by emailing leanne@gvs.wales or clare@gvs.wales, and you will be allocated a time-slot to attend. But if it’s your first time attending, you can just turn up and the team will be able to slot you in.