A huge logistical operation is under way in Tamworth this week to distribute emergency food parcels to hundreds of low-income families in time for the upcoming school half-term break (May 27-31, 2024).
The event is being organised by the Heart of Tamworth charity (HoT) which has taken delivery of £11,000 worth of supplies donated by Tamworth Co-operative Society.
Five hundred food parcels are being delivered to 37 schools across the Society’s trading area in one of the biggest operations of its kind in the town.
Most of the schools are in and around Tamworth, with some also in the North Warwickshire and Burton areas.
Tamworth Co-op’s chief executive officer designate Dan Welsh was among the VIP guests at the recent official unveiling of two new HoT shops providing a lifeline to local families on low incomes. He is pictured outside the new community pantry with Catherine Smith, chair of Heart of Tamworth trustees, Mayor of Tamworth, Councillor John Harper, and Mayoress Maureen Harper.
Catherine Smith, chair of HoT trustees, says the food is desperately needed by many families who struggle to feed their children during the holidays.
“HoT has provided support to people affected by food poverty for several years now as parents have become ever more reliant on breakfast clubs and school lunches. This situation is getting worse as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.
“Schools tell us more and more of their families are struggling. They are frequently surprised by the people who are asking for help – families they would never have imagined needing basic support are now finding it hard to cope.”
As well as donating all the food, Tamworth Co-op is also providing delivery vans, while staff from its food division are helping HoT volunteers make up the parcels.
Each box has a retail value of around £23 and includes 20 items such as tins of soup, baked beans, meatballs, spaghetti rings, pasta sauce, tinned vegetables and strawberry jam. For the first time some toiletry and hygiene products have been included.
Ms Smith said everyone at the charity is extremely grateful for all the help from the Tamworth Co-op.
“Just last month the Society donated food for our new community pantry and now they have donated a considerable amount of food for this operation. They did the same last year. It’s great to partner with a local organisation which is so committed to supporting its community.”
HoT delivers practical support to people experiencing ill health, addiction, bereavement, homelessness, financial worries and loneliness.
A community café forms the hub of its base at the Sacred Heart Centre in Glascote. The organisation relies on just two full-time employees, backed up by a 170-strong army of volunteers to deliver most of its activities/services.
Recently it unveiled two new impressive community shops– a food pantry and a pre-loved clothing store.
The community pantry replaces a much smaller shop which was previously housed in a shed at the community centre in Silver Link Road.
For just £5, customers can fill their own bags with a range of fresh, chilled, frozen, tinned and packet food. It represents a considerable saving on supermarket prices. They are also welcome to add some free fruit, vegetables and bakery products.
Dan Welsh, Tamworth Co-op’s chief executive officer designate, said the money for the supplies was raised from the sale of carrier bags at the Society’s 12 stores.
“We were founded in Tamworth in 1886 and from that day part of our mission has been to give back to the community we serve. We are a local, small independent co-operative society formed in Tamworth. As such we are delighted to support this vital project.
“We have offered a lot of support to the Heart of Tamworth charity in recent years because it carries out incredible work in the community. Later in the year we will be making another substantial donation to boost its work with the elderly. As part of our Cash in the Bag scheme we have been handing out cheques totalling £12,500 to a string of good causes in the area.
The following schools, all close to food stores operated by Tamworth Co-op, are being given food parcels to distribute to families on their doorsteps. Tamworth schools: St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School, Moorgate Primary Academy, Lark Hall Infant and Nursery Academy, Flaxhill Junior Academy, Coton Green Primary School, William MacGregor Primary School, Ashcroft Infants and Nursery School, St Leonards Church of England Primary School, Florendine Primary School, St Gabriel’s Catholic Primary School, Bird’s Bush Primary School, Heathfields Infant Academy, Wilnecote Junior Academy, Lakeside Primary School, Millfield Primary School, Hanbury’s Farm Primary School, Greenacres Primary School, Longwood Primary School, Stonydelph Primary School, Glascote Primary Academy, Dosthill Primary Academy, Amington Heath Primary School, Woodlands Primary School, Ankermoor Primary School, Two Gates Community and Primary School, Three Peaks Primary Academy, Two Rivers School.
North Warwickshire schools: Kingsbury School, The Nethersole School, Birchwood Primary School, Wood End Primary School. Lichfield schools: Whittington Primary School, St Michaels Church of England School, Five Spires Academy. Burton area: William Shrewsbury Primary School, The Fountains Primary School, Rosliston Church of England School.