NORTH Taunton families on the breadline can sign up for a cut-price scheme to buy food that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Around 30 households will be able to buy weekly boxes of low cost, nutritious food from the Local Pantry initiative based at Rowbarton Methodist Church.

The pilot project, supported by Somerset West and Taunton and Somerset County Councils, as well as surplus food charity FareShare, is going countywide.

Officially launched tomorrow (Tuesday, March 23), it will be run by volunteers, with set up costs for items such as fridges and storages funded by a relief grant from the Government.

The Local Pantry model has worked to address childhood hunger and in-work poverty exposed by the pandemic.

The Local Pantry

The Local Pantry

The Local Pantry Rowbarton will operate as a membership scheme to enable households to budget for their food.

Members can join for up to six months, paying £3.50 a week for ten to fifteen items every Tuesday, equivalent to an annual estimated saving of £1,144.

In addition to shelf-stable food, fresh produce such as meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables will be offered that would otherwise go to waste.

There will be tips help manage finances, alongside future planned activities to reduce isolation and improve health and well-being.

All preparation, handling and collecting of food will follow best standards of cleanliness, with volunteers abiding by social distancing.

It is hoped to roll out the project to more areas of the county.

Cllr Chris Booth, SWT executive member for community, said: “Local Pantries are just one of a number of schemes we’re considering to help communities become more sustainable. It helps local people access low cost food on a regular basis, whilst preventing perfectly good food from going to waste.

"Because of our local networks, we’re in a great position to trial this project as part of a larger countywide plan to introduce between four to five pantries in each district.

"By working with our partners, we’re committed to rolling out the Local Pantry model to communities across the SWT area, and with support from our environmental health and community resilience teams, we’re confident it will run smoothly."

Residents who are interested in joining as a member and live in Rowbarton can register via https://forms.gle/nBXUYGTfDK2YpqgC8 while you can also access The Local Pantry Rowbarton Facebook page.

Anyone interested in helping as a volunteer should contact team leader Gillian Flick by emailing Rowbartonpantry@gmail.com