‘EMERGENCY’ food parcels will be available to people in crisis as part of a new initiative set up to tackle food poverty in West Somerset.

Porlock Community Library and the West Somerset Food Bank have launched the joint initiative to tackle the issue which has been exacerbated by the national cost-of-living crisis.

Living in a rural area such as Porlock brings specific challenges for people on low incomes, and many rural jobs pay only offer minimum wage wages. A higher-than-average proportion of the population is living on a state pension and with public transport limited across parts of West Somerset, it is therefore more difficult to access affordable, healthy food regularly.

Porlock Community Library will now keep emergency food parcels available for people who are in crisis, and three types will be available; a family bag, a single person pack for someone with cooking facilities and a single person pack for someone without cooking facilities. Each food parcel contains a carefully thought-out range of non-perishable food items.

West Somerset Food Cupboard works alongside partner agencies to ensure food parcel recipients are offered a package of practical help. This may include support to apply for benefits, manage their income and deal with debt or addictions. One of these partners, The West Somerset Advice Bureau, provides a dedicated drop-in session at the library between 11am and 2pm every fortnight. The next sessions take place on June 13, June 27, July 11 and July 25.

Katrina Midgley, chairperson of the West Somerset Food Cupboard, said: “All the food we distribute is donated.

“The community in Porlock is extremely supportive with food donations and their time through volunteering for us. We are delighted to have this opportunity to collaborate with Porlock Community Library to ensure that people in food crisis can easily access support locally.”

Porlock Community Library officer and volunteer coordinator, Mary Perkins, said: “By working alongside West Somerset Food Cupboard and West Somerset Advice Bureau we are bringing partners together from across the support system. Our aim is to develop sustainable community led support to ensure nobody in Porlock and the surrounding area experiences food poverty.”

The West Somerset Food Cupboard has been providing emergency food from the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Alcombe, Minehead, since 2007. The food is donated by local people, checked, and packed by volunteers, and distributed by a local agency.

In May 2022, the Local Pantry was established, which is a membership scheme formed through a partnership agreement with supermarket surplus charity Fareshare South West. The team of volunteers sort deliveries and stocks the pantry, and welcomes members every Tuesday, assisting with their weekly shop – all for £4 per member.

It’s National Volunteers’ Week between June 3-9. Volunteering is a fulfilling way to give back to your local community, so those people who are interested in getting involved with the West Somerset Food Cupboard are asked to email [email protected] to find out more.