So we had a busy week moving from St. Anne’s Church to our new location in Cherry Gardens Hall. In these strange times things rarely go to plan and on this occasion it was the snow that threw us off course. But after a few days of delay, we eventually managed to move all of our supplies. As always, our amazing volunteers pitched in where they could – packing, lifting, loading and driving our various bits and pieces to Cherry Gardens.

We wanted to use today’s update to give a quick shout out to everyone who has helped us get the food pantry started. Firstly a HUGE thank you to our volunteers – Terrie, Janet, Katie, Debbie, Lynne and John and our drivers Rash, Khushma and Rachel. Thank you particularly to Bill for helping us to move our deep freezer – we were a bit worried about that so thanks for saving our bacon, literally! Thank you to our old and new hosts at St. Anne’s and Cherry Gardens. The amazing charity Fareshare supplies the bulk of the food - they do a remarkable job cutting down on food waste across the UK, but we can’t neglect to mention the local traders who have donated various items so willingly. Finally thank you to our growing band of supporters – rest assured your donations will be well spent directly helping the most in need and reducing the stigma of food poverty.

We are now ready to open the doors of the Love North Southwark Food Pantry this week. Open hours are Tuesdays (11-1), Thursdays (11-1) and Fridays (11-1) – please do book an appointment due to social distancing requirements. We will continue to delivery our food parcels to those who are shielding on Fridays. If you know anyone who needs help please do not hesitate to get in touch. We can support households in need across Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and the Old Kent Road.

Today’s update has been focused on gratitude, so most of all we must acknowledge our fearless leader who keeps us all in line – thank you remarkable Kathy and keep up the good work!