Keeping families fed across Ilford
Published: 29 March 2023
From Tuesday 28 March, the cost of the weekly shop will be plummeting for people across Ilford and the surrounding area, with the opening of Ilford Community Grocery.
Based at City Gates Church, the Community Grocery will help tackle food poverty locally by providing affordable food for members who would otherwise go hungry, whilst also giving them access to support too. By signing up at the grocery, members who would otherwise find it hard to put food on the table for their families can do a large food shop for only £4 per visit - saving on average £20 each shop.
Step inside the store and you’ll find 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.
An initiative of international charity The Message Trust, the store is being run in partnership with City Gates Church, with support from Redbridge Council. The store will be the newest Community Grocery to open, with twenty other stores across England already helping to feed over 40,000 families.
Community Groceries are about more than just food. Members also have access to a range of services including employment clubs, debt advice, mental wellbeing courses, exploring Christianity and cookery courses. Redbridge Council, as part of their support for the local community, will also be periodically providing advice and support sessions. This will provide residents with access to not only their services, but those offered by other relevant voluntary organisations across the borough too.
Andy Hawthorne OBE, Chief Executive and Founder of The Message Trust said: “Escalating fuel and food prices are having a massive impact on everyone’s lives. But for many it’s made life so difficult that they are having to choose every day between heating or eating. We can’t stand by and do nothing, so the Community Groceries are here to help. 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 40,000 members across the UK now shopping in stores, and we can’t wait to welcome people to Ilford Community Grocery from 28 March.”
Rev Stephen Derbyshire, Lead Pastor at City Gates London said: “The purpose of the Community Grocery is to offer local residents who are struggling to put food on the table with some respite from the present economic challenges. As a church, we want to make sure people have access to resources they need for daily life and it’s our hope that this and the wrap-around support available in store will help local people. We’re really excited to be partnering with The Message Trust and are grateful for the support Redbridge Council are giving to this venture.”
Councillor Kam Rai, Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Leisure and Culture, said: "Everyone should have access to affordable food and essentials; that's why we're proud to support a brand-new Community Grocery store right in the heart of Ilford – so local people who need support can shop at heavily discounted prices and access wider assistance. The rising cost of living is hitting households across Redbridge, and our council is stepping up support in every way we can to help our neighbours through this challenging time.
"Everyone is welcome to get involved with the Community Grocery by volunteering to support the programme, donating essentials to help out, or joining to shop for affordable essentials."
Membership costs just £5 per year and members can then visit multiple times a week choosing their own shopping for their families.
The Ilford store is just one of many Community Groceries with stores in Middlesbrough, Warrington, Blackpool, Burslem and Burnley having opened recently.
Find out more about Ilford Community Grocery
Ilford Community Grocery store will be at City Gates, 25 – 29 Clements Road, Ilford, IG1 1BH and open 9:30am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday.
