£3 for a food shop at new Telford grocery store
Families in Telford will be able to pick up their groceries for as little as £3 thanks to a new community grocery opening in a church.
This week, the cost of the weekly shop will be plummeting for people across Telford with the opening of All Nations Community Grocery.
Based in All Nations Church on Holyhead Road east of Ketley, the Community Grocery will help tackle food poverty locally by providing affordable food for members and allowing them to do a large food shop for only £3 per visit.
The grocery stocks the same range of products you’d expect to see in your local supermarkets, including fresh fruit and vegetables, tinned goods, baked items, frozen food, sanitary and household items, thanks to donations by local suppliers and supermarkets.
The store is being run in partnership between national charity The Message Trust and All Nations Church. The store will be the newest Community Grocery to open, with nine other stores across England already helping to feed over 8,600 families.
The store was opened on Tuesday by Rick and Sarah Kaul, leaders of All Nations Telford, who are running the shop.
They said: "It is an honour for All Nations Telford to partner with The Message Trust to see transformation in our community through the launch of the Community Grocery.
"Being a new church in the area our desire has been to help meet the needs of families in our community and to use our church building as an outlet to do this. We believe the Community Grocery will bring practical help to the people that need it most as well as offering various courses for members.
"We are so excited to see transformation and the community coming together as we serve the people of Telford."
Community Grocery members also have access to a range of services including employment clubs, debt advice, mental wellbeing courses, exploring Christianity and cookery courses.
Andy Hawthorne OBE, chief executive and founder of The Message Trust said: “Covid and lockdowns have had a massive impact on everyone’s lives, but for millions it’s made it difficult for them to afford everyday essentials like food.
"We couldn’t stand by and do nothing, so the Community Groceries began. Bridging the gap between supermarkets and foodbanks, we’re here to make it easier for our members to put food on the table by reducing the cost of the weekly shop, whilst also providing them with support and courses too.
"Over 8,600 members across the UK are now shopping in stores each week, and we can’t wait to welcome people to All Nations Community Grocery in November.”
Membership costs £5 per year and members are able to visit three times a week and choose their own shopping for their families.
The Telford store is just one of many Community Groceries with stores in Netherton, Wigan, Hexham, Sheffield and Bolton having opened recently, and others in Bedworth and Newcastle also opening soon.
To find out more about All Nations Community Grocery head to communitygrocery.org.uk.
