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    12

    Oct 2021

    Last Updated: 13/10/2021

    Community grocery for people in need opens in Harrogate

    by Connor Creaghan

    | 12 Oct, 2021
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    People pay £5 a year to sign up as members and are then able to pick up the equivalent of a £30 shop. The new shop has a wide range of tinned, fresh food and frozen food. It also stocks sanitary products and nappies in various sizes.

    community-grocery-1
    (L:R) Sophia Clark, grocery manager, and Karen Martin, volunteer.

    Food waste organisation Resurrected Bites has opened a community grocery shop in Harrogate to help people who struggle to afford food.

    The voluntary group, which turns food destined for bins into meals, launched the concept store at New Park Primary Academy today.

    People pay £5 a year to sign up as members and are then entitled to pay £3, £5 or £9 depending on the size of their family, for items that would typically cost £30.

    The shop, which can be found in one of the school's separate buildings on West Street, just off Skipton Road, will be open daily every Tuesday and Thursday between 9.30am and 3.30pm.



    The new shop has a wide range of tinned, fresh food and frozen food. It also stocks toiletries, sanitary products and nappies in various sizes.




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    Community groceries have been popping up all over the UK. They provide a similar service to food banks but because of the small charge they don't have the same stigma attached to them.

    Supporters donated nearly £1,800 to help get the new project off the ground.

    If the new shop goes well, Resurrected Bites plans to open another in central Knaresborough in a location to be confirmed.

    Grocery manager Sophia Clark told the Stray Ferret:

    "We are aiming to support anybody who is in financial difficulty. There's no stigma, anybody can end up in food poverty. That is myself included, I needed help during the first lockdown.
    "The shop is here so people can save money on food and continue to pay their utility bills over winter. With the £20 universal credit uplift people are really going to struggle.
    "It is just to help people get back on their feet. We are going to be running courses in the community hub in the same building on subjects such as debt management and budgeting as well."


    More pictures from inside the shop: