Charity that helps hundreds of struggling people gets major boost

Town hall chiefs have given a £100k grant to a charity that helps families access good quality food at a fraction of the price.

Tameside council has awarded the cash to The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) – a scheme that works to reduce food waste by redistributing surplus food from supermarkets and manufacturers to people on low incomes.

The grant, which uses money from emergency government Covid-19 funding, will pay for a new TBBT van which will help to reach more than 450 extra families in the borough.

The charity will also work with the local authority and the Tameside Food Partnership to establish five new hubs in Tameside.

Hattersley resident Maxine Woodward has been volunteering with the scheme since being made redundant after learning about it through her daughter. 

She said: “It is a fantastic opportunity to help people who are on a tight budget – it helps them to eat well, try new things and have food on their table that they might not normally be able to afford such as meat and fresh fruit and veg.

“It also stops waste going to landfill, so it has all round benefits.”

Each week members of the scheme are offered three bags of food – one containing fruit and vegetables, one with chilled fridge products and one with dry store-cupboard ingredients.

A set of three bags costs £7.50, less than a third of the retail price of the goods which would cost anywhere between £35 and £50 if purchased in store.

Andy Millward, from Hattersley, is a member of the scheme.

“I have a large family and this scheme gives me peace of mind that there will be food in the cupboard,” he said.

“It has also opened my eyes to different vegetables and food that I wouldn’t normally be able to afford and we are eating healthier because of it.”

The charity currently operates from a hub in Hattersley, which opened in September 2018 and supports up to 70 families each week, due to the committed support over 15 volunteers.

Council leader Brenda Warrington said: “We’re pleased to be able to work with this project in reaching more local families who are struggling, particularly during these current difficult times.

“It will make a real and significant difference in helping more residents make their limited budgets stretch further and improving their diets and quality of life. 

“The grant forms part of our wider work with Tameside Food Partnership to reduce food poverty and increase food resilience in the borough.”

She also thanked ‘dedicated volunteers’ who had worked through lockdown to keep the scheme running, and organisations like St Barnabus Church and Onward Homes which have helped to facilitiate the hub.

Tameside’s Civic Mayor Janet Cooper has also been championing the project. 

Mark Game, chief executive officer at The Bread and Butter Thing, said they were ‘delighted’ to be working with partners in Tameside to bring the affordable food service to more communities. 

“The financial savings for people using our service are significant, people eat better quality and a bigger variety of food, and we save tonnes of surplus edible food from going to waste,” he added.

“It’s a win-win solution for everyone and we’re looking forward to seeing our Tameside partnership develop over the coming months.”

People can become a member of the TBBT by contacting their local hub directly or emailing hello@breadandbutterthing.org.

Main image:

Council leader Brenda Warrington and Civic Mayor Councillor Janet Cooper with The Bread and Butter Thing volunteers in Hattersley.