Zero waste food pantry open
FRESH food at affordable prices is on the menu for Inverclyde residents to support families and tackle waste.
The council has teamed up with Inverclyde Community Development Trust (The Trust) to open a new community food pantry, ‘The Pantry’, in Grieve Road in Greenock.
It will be stocked with perfectly good, surplus goods to help reduce waste while providing high quality, fresh produce for residents across the district.
There will also be training, employment and volunteering opportunities.
The council is investing £60,000 in the scheme and has provided the shop unit, which was lying empty.
The Pantry will be run by The Trust and will be operated on a membership basis with people paying a small fee to access the scheme.
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “This is a fantastic initiative to help tackle food insecurity while reducing waste and improving health outcomes for people.
“I’m delighted that we’re able to support residents in accessing quality goods for a fraction of the usual price.
“We’re also seeing an empty retail unit being brought back into good use.
“The Pantry ticks a lot of boxes.”
The location has been chosen following a consultation process carried out by The Trust among residents across Inverclyde.
Anyone can join for an initial £1 annual membership fee, which will allow them to purchase a weekly £2.50 voucher to fill their bags with goods worth £10-£15.
Andy McCann, who is from The Trust and will be running The Pantry, said: “Pantries are open to all and are a great way for communities to save money and come together to tackle the issue of surplus food and we are all very excited about getting The Pantry open.
“The renovation of the shop over the last few week has also provided an excellent opportunity for our young ‘Future Job’ trainees to gain new skills and training.
“We’ve also received lots of positive interest and messages of support from people in the community and we hope that as many people as possible will get involved as members and volunteers.”
The Pantry will offer everything from fresh fruit, vegetables and meats to tins, jars, packets, cereals the odd sweet treat, although it will vary from week to week depending on deliveries.
There is currently stocks of babies’ nappies and it is hoped to incorporate some household items and toiletries over time.
The Pantry will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays.
To find out more about the food pantry and how to get involved, visit www.facebook.com/trustinverclyde or email andy.mccann@the-trust.org.uk.