A new housing development in Wichelstowe is contributing to the provision of meals for struggling families in Swindon by donating £500 to the Wroughton Community Pantry, a local food bank established over two years ago to support those in need.
The initiative was started by 75-year-old Rosemarie Watson, who launched an emergency food delivery service for families experiencing financial difficulties when the government announced the end of free school meals during the summer holidays in 2020.
Together with her neighbour, Hannah Smith, Watson collected food donations from the public, stored them in her garage, and delivered food boxes to families in the village.
Since then, the demand for food parcels has increased, and the community has rallied to provide support. With the assistance of the team at Elledune Community Centre, the Pantry was offered rent-free, long-term use of a room for the food bank setup.
The pantry now delivers food packages to families in Chiseldon, Thorney Park, Wichelstowe, and Wroughton, delivered to their doorstep by a team of eight volunteers.
In the last few months alone, the Pantry has assisted 26 families, some on a regular basis and others as needed. The food packages are nutritionally balanced and include donated items such as long-life foods, canned items, convenience foods, eggs, and dairy.
Rosemarie said the support the Pantry has received from the Wichelstowe Joint Venture team has been huge: “We provide emergency, non-referred food parcels to families who are in need immediately – they don’t have time to go through the referral process via a larger organisation so for many, we’re a lifeline.
“The Pantry exists on donations. Every week the Berkeley Farm Dairy gives us milk, butter, and yogurts, we receive donations from schools’ Harvest Festivals, the local Youth Football group collects tins for us, and during the summer months, we get food from local allotments. At the start of the year, members of the community dropped food on my doorstep and we received private donations however, these are much smaller now for obvious reasons.
“The last few months have been hard because of rising energy bills. Young families and single people are struggling to manage the benefits they receive. We regularly donate to a family with four small children but we’re frequently receiving new requests for support from people who have just heard about us. This £500 donation will go a long way to help those who need it most.”
Daniel Pavely, Project Director – Wichelstowe, added: “Wroughton Community Pantry has benefited from an overwhelming amount of food from the public and support seems to be ever growing. Community is at the heart of what we do and we’re pleased to be in a position to provide funding to help families in and around Swindon who are currently finding things tough.”
The Wichelstowe scheme, one of the largest local authority joint venture agreements in the country and the South West’s boldest new developments, is being built by Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes in partnership with Swindon Borough Council.
It will deliver 3,000 new homes over the next 20 years, along with new schools and community facilities. The 250-hectare site on the southern edge of Swindon will include extensive open spaces, nature conservation areas, playing pitches , and allotments.
