Crawley Borough Council visits food bank as a part of efforts to support community efforts

With the current cost of living crisis, the council is committed to looking at ways to provide ongoing support for local residents as well as community organisations.

Councillor Michael Jones (Leader of the Council), Councillor Sue Mullins (Cabinet member for Public Protection and Community Engagement) and council officers from teams including Community Development, Employ Crawley and Housing, went along to one of the free fortnightly coffee mornings hosted by FreeShop Crawley and LPK Learning. The coffee mornings are an opportunity for local residents to enjoy some delicious cake and make some new friends.

FreeShop Crawley is a supermarket providing food, toiletries and baby essentials without any associated costs. The organisation knows first-hand how hard life can be, especially as the cost of living is rising. FreeShop Crawley kicked off its services in November 2020 when COVID-19 was hitting the local community the hardest. It is now offering support to more than 600 people a week.

Mr Jones said: "As part of the council's priority of helping people tackling the heating and cost of living crisis, it was extremely informative to visit the Bewbush Centre and see first-hand the valuable work that the FreeShop does through its volunteers and what's available.

“We stand ready to offer our assistance to local food banks and community organisations in these unprecedented times. The cost of living crisis is on such a scale that we recognise that groups like the FreeShop will play a crucial role over the coming months, particularly if there are soaring food prices."

Mrs Mullins said: “It was a very informative and heart-warming experience visiting the FreeShop. The efficient and thoughtful set-up, the commitment of the organisers and volunteers, and the love and care being shown to all who come along, was so impressive.

FreeShop Crawley coffee mornings run fortnightly from 9.30-11.30am in The Bewbush Centre, Crawley, RH11 8XW.

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If you wish, you can let them know you’re attending in advance by calling 07861 907133. Visit freeshopcrawley.com for more detailed information or email [email protected].