A food co-operative that has sold £15,000 of affordable groceries in its first year has been supported by a Caerphilly funeral directors.
The food co-op at St Catherine’s Church in Caerphilly town sells fresh fruit and vegetables at £3 a bag, with profits put back in the scheme or donated to charity.
The co-op runs from 11am to 1pm each Wednesday at the church hall on Mill Road and served 2,500 customers in its first year.
Now Caerphilly Funeral Services has provided the co-op with hessian bags for customers to re-use when collecting their food.
The Revd Gareth Coombes, vicar of Eglwysilan and Caerphilly, said: “We are so pleased that Caerphilly Funeral Services has sponsored St Catherine’s Food Co-op by supplying attractive, reusable and robust bags for our customers.
“I’d like to thank Dean and Caerphilly Funeral Services for supporting the co-op, which continues to go from strength to strength, serving the people of Eglwysilan and Caerphilly.”
Dean Thomas, of Caerphilly Funeral Services said: “Every year we try and do something to support the local community and this was an ideal local project to back. We hit upon the idea of the hessian bags for two reasons – they can be recycled and they will encourage people to return to the food co-op.
“As a local business we are delighted to be able to plough some of our profits back into the local community in this way. It is an excellent scheme as not only does it offer affordable fruit and veg but is very welcoming and provides a place for people to meet up.”
• Nearly 86,000 people were given three days worth of food handouts by charity Trussel Trust in Wales in the 12 months – up 6,000 on 2013-14.
This is the equivalent of giving three days’ food to the entire population of Caerphilly more than twice.
Over 30,000 of those fed were children and benefit delays accounted for 31% of referrals, with low wages accounting for 24%.
Trussell Trust director Adrian Curtis said: “Despite welcome signs of economic recovery, hunger continues to affect significant numbers of men, women and children in the UK today.
“It’s difficult to be sure of the full extent of the problem as Trussell Trust figures don’t include people who are helped by other food charities or those who feel too ashamed to seek help.”