A community food club is aiming to help some of Preston’s most deprived communities this Christmas.

The Local Community Food Club runs The Pantry out of Whitby’s Cafe at The Intact Centre in Ingol.

It is aimed at people in the local area who may be living in food poverty. Members pay a weekly fee for a ‘shop’, and go away with items that could be worth six times the fee.

During the festive period, the Club is running a Bumper Christmas Pantry, and they are looking for donations of food, household goods and toiletries.

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Deb Fitzsimmons, The Intact Centre’s Support and Advice Officer, said: “We are situated in the heart of the communities of Ingol and Tanterton, which are in the top ten of most deprived areas in the country. Many people are living in food poverty, through no fault of their own.

“The Pantry gets food supplied by Fare Share. People pay a membership fee of £3.50 to access a weekly shop, and purchase up to ten items, which usually have a value of £20 to £25 in the supermarkets.

“This encourages people to budget, without relying on food banks. It also takes away the stigma of using food banks, and gives people more choice.

“The Bumper Christmas Pantry is sponsored by Jigsaw Homes Group, which has enabled us to add household goods and toiletries to the usual food items.

“We would appreciate any donations, particularly tinned items and dried foods such as pasta and rice. This would enable more people to benefit from the Pantry.”

The Pantry is open Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 9.30am to 12pm and is regularly used by around 40 people each week, many of who previously accessed the local food bank.

The Christmas Bumper Pantry will run on Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 December.

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For more information contact The Intact Centre on 01772 760760.

What do you think of the Christmas Bumper Pantry? Will you be donating? Let us know in the comments.