The Community Shop model is about building resilience and not reliance, it delivers quality food products at sustainable prices for the shops and residents.
The shops are open to all in the community; there is a small membership fee to join with huge savings on the products available. Some shops are cash only others accept cash and card payments. All have a friendly welcome and a strong community ethos.
The products available in the shops are fresh, frozen and have a long shelf life, as well as toiletries and cleaning products. There is a good selection of products that will allow residents to make a range of healthy meals that supports growth and a healthy development, the addition of these shops allow residents to make healthy savings on their weekly outgoings.
Each Community Shop is run by volunteers. The shops offer great opportunities for individuals who want to learn new skills and build their confidence, which could lead to employment opportunities in the future.
The shops also support the Healthy Start Cards scheme, where families can spend their entitlement but also collect vitamins and drops under the Healthy Start programme.
We are working on having a Community Shop in all wards of Wolverhampton to ensure an inclusive model for all residents. We are aware that food banks and food pantries are still functioning in Wolverhampton, but we are also aware that nationally organisations are trying to move away from this model due to the levels of dependency it has created.
We are regularly collecting feedback from the shops so we can see what is going well, as well as looking at how we can work together to find positive solutions to any challenges that arise. We value this feedback as it helps us grow a diverse, sustainable offer to you in the community.
We are working with the Community Chefs to produce recipe cards with exciting, easy to follow healthy recipes that will be available along with the ingredients needed in the shops, and looking at a range of baby & toddler meals to help support their healthy growth and development. Most importantly we are exploring options around sustainability of all the Community Shops.
Please come along and see what we have and help us grow.