Every Monday a group of local community heroes can be found at Brookhouse Community Centre providing food, a brew and a chit-chat for Eccles residents.
Lighthouse Community Trust (LCT) has been providing a ‘food-hub’ service since lockdown, giving out food parcels to an increasing number of struggling families.
The group decided that many people would rather pick their own items so that its users would not necessarily feel like they were using a charity, whilst still getting the help they need.
Now the LCT provides a safe space for members to have a brew and a chat and a place to shop – without splashing too much cash.
One of the group’s members, Yvonne Louise Foskett, spoke candidly about its impact on the community.
Yvonne said: “We’ve noticed recently we are getting more and more, which is great on one hand because the more people we help, even if it’s one more person a week, we are really happy with that.
“But we know in this day and age that the more people who are coming in shows that more people are struggling.”
The group charges a £5 membership charge for the entire year which then accommodates a cheap £3 food shop for £20 worth of 12 items and the chance to meet every Monday 12-2pm.
Many of the items sold are essentials such as nappies, toothpaste and even baby food.
Another of the group’s members, Hannah Willis, who has been a helper since before lockdown, said: “We probably get around 20-25 people who come in for the shop (every week), and also a couple of people who like to stay in the cafe section part of the centre.
“People can get their food at the shop, then sit down and get a free drink of tea or coffee – we have snacks on the table as well.”
The project manager of the food club is connected to FareShare, a charity which enables no ‘good food to go to waste’. This allows for more fresh fruit and differing items to be successfully donated to the and helps the community massively in turn.
The LCT is a branch of the Lighthouse Church, which offers even more of a backbone to the community with their £1 meals being sold every Thursday, as well as other services being offered such as family fun days or even service help with addiction.
Find out more about the community group at Brookhouse Community Centre, click here.
Listen to some of the interview with Yvonne here:
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