Store’s leftover food helping community
TROLLEY-LOADS of unsold food from Sainsbury’s flagship store in Hinckley are being donated every week to a community centre in Barwell.
Sainsbury’s at The Crescent has set up a Food Donation Partnership with the George Ward Centre, a registered charity based in the nearby village, where some of the area’s most in-need men, women and children are benefitting from free food and basic personal hygiene goods.
Previously, the store sent away its unsold food, including crates full of freshly-baked bread, for anaerobic digestion to produce renewable energy.
Although accepted as an environmentally postive way of processing the waste, store colleagues were keen to see it going to better use within the community.
Now, every Tuesday, George Ward Centre staff and volunteers collect the donated food and goods from the town centre store and take them back for sorting before opening the doors at lunchtime to allow those who might most benefit from it to help themselves.
Among the recipients are people who are homeless or with other welfare issues who regularly use the centre for support, along with people in receipt of food vouchers which allow them to use community foodbanks, such as the one covering Hinckley Area.
In addition, community groups using the Church Lane centre, such as Little Cedars pre-school group, are able to make use of free fruit and veg, ensuring their young charges are getting some of their fivea-day.
And village churches who also host community groups have been brought on board as back-up recipients of any surplus donated goods to ensure that nothing goes to waste.
George Ward Centre manager Lesley Pratt said: “I wanted to change lives and that is what this is doing.
“It is amazing what Sainsbury’s are doing and it’s so good that we have been chosen as the pilot.”
Sainsbury’s store manager John Davies said: “At Sainsbury’s our values are making a positive difference in the community and respect for the environment and we are really happy that a local charity can benefit from our food donation scheme.”
Most of the food being donated is within its useby date but may be damaged, unlabelled or part of a multi-pack that has been split and can no longer be sold in-store.
Some of the food, such as multi-pack crisps, may be out of date by a couple of days.
Bread, cakes and pastries baked in-store, which can only be sold on the day they are made, are also included.
In addition, Sainsbury’s has donated some of its basic own-brand shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and women’s sanitaryware which have been given to people in need known to centre staff.
Recipients of the donated items are carefully monitored by Mrs Pratt and her team to ensure that they are made best use of.
Sainsbury’s shoppers can also donate items for the centre in designated collection bins in-store.