COLUMN by GL11 Community Hub in Cam - written by Tony Carpenter.

Tony is a volunteer co-ordinator at GL11 Community Hub.

Did you know that every week people come to GL11 Community Hub to do their shopping?

Two and a half years ago, recognising the ongoing cost of living crisis, we set up a Community Pantry here at GL11 Community Hub.

Open on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Community Pantry allows people from the local area to access good quality food for a small contribution.

Our GL11 Community Pantry is one of twelve food pantries set up across the Stroud district; together they welcomed just under 9,000 users last year.

Membership of our Community Pantry is open to anyone who needs it and there is no means testing.

Members pay a £4 contribution per person per visit and for this they can typically expect to choose £15 to £20 worth of food, toiletries, cleaning products, nappies, frozen goods, and fresh fruit and vegetables from the shelves.

Many of our members use the Community Pantry weekly.

The friendly volunteers who run the Community Pantry have heard so many stories about the impact it has had on the people who use it.

If you want to help this initiative, please consider donating an item of food from your weekly shop.

We have collection points at One Stop in Cam and Sainsbury’s and Lidl in Dursley and regularly post information about our most needed items on social media.

And if you have any gluts in your garden and would like to donate the surplus fruit and vegetables, we’d love to receive them!

All families have unexpected bills and can find themselves short one week, unable to make things stretch; the GL11 Community Pantry is there to support you.

As one of our Community Pantry members said after their first visit: “it literally saved my week”.

To find out more about the Community Pantry, give us a call on 01453 548530 or look at the FAQs on our website - tinyurl.com/yc7p3f2c

Volunteer co-ordinator Tony Carpenter speaks about GL11 Community Hub's community pantry in this month's column  (Image: GL11 Community Hub)

GL11 Community Hub's community pantry is open to anyone and there is no means testing  (Image: GL11 Community Hub)