Vegelicious Case Study: Trust House Bury

Trust House Bury, based in Metro Christian Centre extends a warm welcome to everyone in the local community with most visitors coming from around a mile radius.

The charity started during the pandemic as a food delivery service, but through listening to its visitors, its service has evolved. It runs a daily community café offering tea and toast from 10am and a hot lunch with takeaway option from midday.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays the pantry shop is open using a combination of staples purchased from main retailers, a FareShare general food delivery and a FareShare Vegelicious donation of surplus food delivery of 400kg of fruit and veg.

Food brings people in

Katie Jenkinson, Centre Manager, says the food is a real hook in drawing people to the centre. Visitors often arrive on their own but soon make friends and attend regularly.

There are three members of staff and around 15 volunteers helping to run the café, pantry and charity shop. Trust House creates a home-from-home living room feel for visitors who can arrive for breakfast and stay for the day enjoying the company of other visitors and volunteers. Alongside this work, the centre offers advice and support on a range of issues such as debt support, benefits claims, family disputes, combatting isolation as well as exercise sessions, mindfulness and craft activities.

Vegelicious

The new initiative from FareShare Greater Manchester called Vegelicious means that Trust House has recently started receiving 400kg of fruit and vegetables in addition to its regular order.  When it is delivered on a Monday, the team decides the café menu for the week.  The highlight this week was a delicious “Vegelicious Meze” which included Melanzana Parmigiana, Asparagus wrapped in bacon and Red Pepper and Feta dip with Pita Bread.

Katie says that FareShare has made a massive difference to their work.  While the charity purchases staples that are not always available from FareShare, it has seen a big reduction in its food bill.  Before signing up to Vegelicious it was spending around £155 a week on fresh fruit and vegetables which has reduced to £60 for a much larger volume.

The knowledge and encouragement of staff and volunteers about how to use the fresh produce meant that when we visited, practically all of the Vegelicious delivery was distributed with a number of visitors trying new and unfamiliar produce.

Interested in joining Vegelicious?

If you’re from a charity or community group supporting those experiencing food insecurity and would like to know more, please get in touch with Sharon, our Vegelicious Coordinator by emailing sharon.robinson@emergemanchester.co.uk