Project to end food insecurity in Burgess Hill about ‘solidarity in the community’

That is the aim of the ‘No Cupboard Empty’ proposal, which will see a community enterprise open in the town centre to help provide affordable nutritious food to people who are struggling.

As well as targeting food insecurity, it is also meant to be a social hub, with advice available on finances, nutrition and even a jobs club.

It is the vision of Burgess Hill Town Council, working in collaboration with Your Local Pantry, a network of community food stores.

Gillian Oliver, development worker UK at Your Local Pantry, said: “It’s not a food bank.

“We’re aware that some people find food banks difficult to attend and they exist for people in crisis, for a short period of time.

“Our data is that food banks only see people 1.9 times so you don’t get to know people or what they need.

“This is about solidarity in the community, friendship to the people who come and getting to know them.”

Robert Eggleston, leader of Burgess Hill Town Council and the project, said: “As we started to emerge from the Covid-19 emergency, and the town council have done a lot of work with voluntary agencies and charities supporting their needs, we began to think about the economic consequences to the community.

“As people come off furlough, people lose their jobs and we move into the deepest recession in the nation’s history, we knew people would struggle.

“We then looked at the situation in the community, Covid-19 not withstanding – for example, one in ten Burgess Hill pupils are eligible for free school meals.

“We thought here’s a situation where if we look at the provisions in the town like the food bank, which does a really good job but deals with crisis emergencies, but not with the long term issue of food insecurity, then how can we as a council position ourselves to deal with long term issue of food insecurity.

“It has to be done as a community scheme where eligible residents go shopping for food but in a way that is affordable.”

Users would pay £4 weekly and choose a minimum of 10 items, worth around £15.

The food is a mixture of higher priced and essential items, with users being able to choose more essential items and less luxury items.

Mr Eggleston commented: “It’s not just a handout, it’s giving people the ability to go and shop in an affordable way.

“The ethos is it isn’t just dealing with a food need, it’s meant to operate as a social hub with advice centres on finances, nutritional advice, and even a job club.

“I think it’s important in this time of crisis for the nation and town with what we’ve been through that we do our very best not to leave people behind.

“I feel very strongly that you do best by dignifying the customers.

“They’re not set apart, there’s no stigma attached and they’re not hidden away in a corner, they’re going to a normal shop and treated exactly the same.”