The pantry initiative by Ribbleton Parish, based at the Community Centre at Watling Street Road in Brookfield, Preston, was opened by the Mayor of Preston, Councillor Neil Darby (pictured on the left). The Mayor, partners from the council, local housing and schools supported the launch at the parish, along with the new Vicar, Rev Linda Tomkinson and her husband Pete, a Church Army Evangelist.
The pantry is scheduled to be open every Tuesday morning from 10am to noon; creating a community drop-in space providing support. Fresh and tinned food supplies will be available for those in need, with a referral voucher required which can be obtained at the Centre from the church clergy team; from local school headteachers and local councillors.
Pete Tomkinson said: “As well as welcoming the Mayor to perform the opening it was great to have support there from councillors and local housing and school engagement officers, as we all work together to provide a joined-up approach to supporting the needs of our community.
Over the past few months scores of churches across the Diocese have developed new initiatives or built on existing work to support people struggling to put food on the table or heat their homes at this difficult time.
The Diocese has been tracking and promoting these initiatives in a series of news stories and via a website page where we are collating some of the best examples of this work from Blackpool to Burnley and from Morecambe to Chorley and all points between; with more being added all the time.