Dear Friends and Supporters of the West Somerset Food Cupboard,
As Spring has arrived across West Somerset, we wanted to share some of the lovely things that have been happening at WSFC over the past few months. From community donations and kitchen creativity to new partnerships and events, it’s been a busy season and we’re so grateful for the support of our local community.
Food Bags Available in Porlock Library
If you know anyone in Porlock who may need a little extra support with food, please do let them know we’re here to help. Food bags are available every week at Porlock Library and no referral is required; people can simply drop in and speak to a member of the team.
Sometimes taking that first step can feel difficult, so helping us spread the word really does make a difference.
Cook-ups at the Pantry
We’ve been very busy in the Pantry kitchen this Spring, making the most of the ingredients coming into the Pantry and finding creative ways to use them.
Our wonderful volunteer, Linda, recently cooked up some delicious Mexican-inspired potato cakes using Tex-Mex dips available through the Pantry. Members who sampled them absolutely loved them, and several took the recipe home to recreate using ingredients from their Pantry bags.
It’s been lovely to see how simple ingredients can become something tasty with a little imagination. The recipe is now available on our website and we’re planning to upload more Pantry-inspired recipes very soon.
Success of Our Easter Appeal
Our Easter Egg campaign was a huge success this year and we were genuinely overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown across the community.
Thanks to support from local businesses, supermarkets, and our social media appeal, we were able to meet all agency requests, stock the Pantry and include an Easter egg in every food bag we distributed. We even had enough surplus donations to share with Moorland Foodbank.
Most incredibly, we achieved all of this without purchasing a single Easter egg ourselves, a true community effort.
The response from families was incredibly moving, with tears, hugs and so much gratitude. It was a reminder that treats many of us take for granted have become real luxuries for many households.
Huge thanks in particulars Webbers, Amanda-Louise Funeral Services and The Bridal Boutique for their fantastic support of the appeal.
Chocolate treats from Butlin’s
We also had a surprise chocolate delivery earlier this Spring when Butlin’s kindly donated leftover selection boxes and Easter Eggs (all safely in date, of course!).
These were shared across our Minehead and Porlock communities and were very gratefully received.
Party in the Park with Minehead Rotary Club
We were delighted to attend Party in the Park on 9th May in Blenheim Gardens, an event returning for the first time in several years following the Covid pandemic.
It was a fantastic day with entertainment, food, and activities for all ages, and we really enjoyed meeting people at our stall, chatting about the work we do and raising awareness of the support available locally.
Our “Guess the Number of Creme Eggs in the Jar” challenge also proved very popular, together with our Tombola! Over £300 was raised, thank you.
This Month’s Shortages
Any non-perishable food items are always gratefully received:
- UHT Milk 1 litre
- Instant Coffee or Hot Chocolate
- Sugar
- Squash and Fruit Juice/Individual Juice
- Corned Beef
- Tinned Potatoes or Packets of Mash
- Tinned Tomatoes
- Tinned Ravioli, Macaroni cheese, spaghetti hoops
- Crisps and Savoury Crackers
- Pasta ‘n’ Sauce sachets
- Cup a Soups
- Individual desserts-rice puddings, custard pots
- Tinned Fruit
- Pasta Sauce or Curry Sauce
- Jars of fish spread or meat spread
The 3 items we have completely run out of are
- Tinned tomatoes
- Squash bottles or Fruit Juice
- Savoury Crackers
We cannot accept open or out of date items. Please do not leave these items in our collection boxes. We welcome back any of our bags, please leave in the donation bin.
Contacting Us Following Closure of Citizens Advice in Minehead (for food support enquiries only)
Like many people locally, we were very sorry to hear about the closure of Citizens Advice in Minehead after 48 years of supporting the community. The closure has been linked to rising operational costs and ongoing funding pressures.
Over the years, Citizens Advice played an important role in helping local residents access essential support, including food provision.
If you become aware of anyone needing food support in the coming weeks or months, please contact us directly via our website. We are here to help.
Request for Dog Food Donations
We know that for many people, pets are part of the family. During difficult times, families are often doing everything they can to continue caring for their animals too.
We have recently signed up to the RSPCA’s Pet Food Bank Partnership which allows us to apply for pet food monthly and this is enhancing our supplies.
We have also received several bags from the community following our call for help, thank you.
Return of Our Bags
A gentle reminder that we’d really appreciate the return of our reusable food bags where possible. Returned bags can be placed in our supermarket donation bins, making it easy for people to drop them back while shopping.
Every bag returned helps us reduce costs and continue supporting more people.
Welcome to Our New Trustee Treasurer
We are delighted to welcome Chris Nurden as the new Trustee Treasurer on the WSFC Board. We’re very much looking forward to working together and are grateful to have his support and expertise moving forward.
Thank You
Finally, we’d like to say a huge thank you to all the fantastic businesses and supporters in across West Somerset who continue to help us throughout the year, along with everyone who hosts donation stations or contributes in any way.
It means such a lot when communities come together to support one another, and we simply couldn’t do what we do without you.
