Volunteering in the Lewes District: How can you help your community through the Cost of Living crisis?

Havens Community Hub, based in Newhaven, has plenty of opportunities for people looking to support local people. Opportunities include community cars, Havens Food Cooperative, and Havens Happy Clubs.

Havens Community Cars is a charity supporting over 500 residents with 25 volunteer drivers. Havens Food Cooperative is a food waste prevention project saving and redistributing over 1 ton of food from supermarkets per week. Havens Happy Clubs provides dementia-friendly stimulating activities for older people.

At Havens Community Cars, full training and support is given and mileage is paid to all volunteer drivers in their small, community-minded team.

You could also become a volunteer at the Havens Food Cooperative. Volunteers are needed to collect surplus food from local stores in the afternoons and evenings 7 days a week, 355 days of the year and help sort and redistribute the produce to local groups and families from their office in Denton. Full support and training is given.

The Havens Food Cooperativeis accepting donations via The Factory Shop in Newhaven, and they are currently requesting tins, jar, sanitary products, biscuits, tea, coffee, confectionary, fruits and vegetables.

Havens Happy Clubs are also looking for volunteers to join their team at their venues at Kempton House, Peacehaven on Tuesdays and West Quay Day Centre, Newhaven on Wednesdays and Seaford Baptist Church, Seaford on Thursdays.

Plans for the Peacehaven hub at the Telscombe Civic Centre, following the success of the Havens Community Hub model based in Denton, have been submitted to the government for final approval by LDC.

Founder Paula Woolven said: "I'm delighted that Lewes District Council have recognised the ongoing impact of our project development work over the difficult pandemic period and trusted Havens Community Hub's reputation for 'finding a way or making a way' to invest in this exciting opportunity for Peacehaven's residents, charities and businesses."

For more information, visit havenscommunityhub.co.uk/support-our-work

The Sussex Community Development Association (SCDA) is also looking for new volunteers.

The SCDA is looking for a Community Food Volunteer Driver, Community Supermarket Volunteer, and volunteers for their charity shop.

As a volunteer at Newhaven Community Supermarket you will be a welcoming and friendly asset to our team. Your main responsibilities will be to organise food donations, support clients to make food choices and to keep the space looking good. Some cash handling may also be involved. This role requires a commitment of around four hours per week, although this may vary.

There are a number of roles with the SCDA which involve driving. From delivering food parcels, to collecting donations, to driving a minibus that helps members access the Community Supermarkets.

The SCDA shop provides useful income for our community projects as well as a friendly space for people to meet up and to volunteer.

For more information visit sussexcommunity.org.uk/support-us/volunteering

The Lewes District Food Partnership is also looking for volunteers at the Lewes FC Community Kitchen Garden, Peacehaven Community Garden and Orchard, the Sharing Skills CIC and The Growing Project in Seaford.

Sharing Skills involves planting veg around Seaford town for everyone to share, and The Growing Project involves Tree planting action days, tree care, community gardening.

For more information visit lewesdistrictfoodpartnership.org/get-involved/volunteer

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