Samworth Brothers helps with half-term pop-up pantries
Colleagues from across Samworth Brothers businesses in Leicester came together in a big team effort to support the latest half term holiday food programme being run by Leicester City Council.
Leicester City Council teamed up with Samworth Brothers and food surplus retailer Company Shop to provide eligible families with fruit, vegetables, milk, bread and store cupboard essentials to ensure children have some breakfast, lunch and dinner options over half-term. It means that children in Leicester who normally have a free school meal won’t miss out over the holiday break.
Families who registered for the scheme were able to collect their food from 19 pop-up community pantries that were set up at sites across the city – including local schools, children’s centres, leisure centres, the King Power stadium and the Morningside Arena.
Pictured are Samworth Brothers team volunteers at pop-up pantries at Rushey Mead School and Forest Lodge Academy, two of 19 pop-up community pantries set up at sites across the city.
Paula Gagin, Samworth Brothers Community Champion, said: “We’ve worked together across the group and with the Company Shop team to secure the huge amount of food required. It was quite a challenge, but we have some fantastic people who pulled out all the stops to make it happen. We are passionate about our role within our local communities and I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to support such a great initiative.”
Deputy city mayor Cllr Sarah Russell, who leads the city council’s anti-poverty agenda, said: “I’d like to thank the team at Samworth Brothers and Company Shop for helping us support thousands of young people and their families across the city with this important half-term initiative, and I’d also like to thank the dozens of volunteers who will give up their time to help staff across our 19 community pantries.”