By attending a night of live music, you could help a local charity provide affordable food to those in need during the cost-of-living crisis.
The Store Cupboard is an affordable food shop set up by volunteers of The William Hobbayne Charity in Hanwell.
The charity worked with Ealing Council’s Ealing Together programme to support vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic. Volunteers wanted to do more when lockdown restrictions eased and decided to set up a retail-type store to continue to help those in need.
It offers fresh and chilled food and store cupboard staples to those in the community who are struggling. All of the food is donated by food charities and local people. By putting this food to use, it also helps to avoid letting perfectly good food to waste. The shop works on a membership basis and members pay £3.50 a week for food worth approximately £35-£40 – with free fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread.
Buy a ticket and help feed a family
The organisers of the popular annual music festival, The Hanwell Hootie, have teamed up with the charity to hold a fundraising event in the town on Saturday, 26 November.
For a night of live music, tickets cost £10. You can buy your tickets online.
It will be held at The Green W7 from 7pm, and will feature music by The Hanwell Ukulele Group, James and Allix, Geoff Price and Dave Stone, and Paul Brennan. There will also be a DJ.
June Martin, one of the directors of The Hanwell Hootie, said: “We are selling tickets for £10, which could feed a family of four at the Store Cupboard for nearly three weeks. The charity’s volunteers now independently run the store and I don’t need to tell anyone that times are extremely challenging at the moment and there is currently a lack of food donations and funding. Anything we can do to help this charity in our community could make a huge difference to local people in need. Please come along for a great evening of live music and support a very worthwhile cause in the process.”
Sharon Averill of The Store Cupboard said: “The funds raised will really help us provide affordable food and bridge the gap for those going through a tough time. I hope lots of people come forward to join us and show us, once again, the fantastic ‘Ealing Together’ community spirit.”
More about the Store Cupboard
Members of the Store Cupboard shop for their food in a normal retail environment, which not only offers them some choice and dignity but also helps to minimise the effects of social isolation.
The team behind the project works with people referred by agencies and charities who are assisting vulnerable families in financial crisis.
The Store Cupboard is unable to take direct referrals and has a waiting list for referral partners. So, while it cannot help everyone, it does aim to provide a breathing space for those who may be struggling.
You can find ways to support The Store Cupboard via its website. You can also find it on Twitter and on Facebook.
