By Stephen Morris
In the June issue of Shepperton Matters (No103) there was an item on Shepperton Lockdown Doorsteps. This brilliant project photographed people on their doorsteps during lockdown to create a record of ‘normal’ Shepperton life during this extraordinary time. It also aimed to raise £1,000 for Bags of Food and finished up raising well over three times that amount!
Jubilee Church Shepperton started Bags of Food about three years ago. Its primary aim was to provide meals for families with children entitled to free school meals to help them through the school holidays, but it was also happy to give one-off support to individuals by providing them with food. It works with local schools and other agencies to identify these needs. Members of the church have provided food and funds throughout that time.
It was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would bring about a much greater need locally and Bags of Food has faced a much bigger challenge. Working with other foodbanks in the area and the local council it was agreed that Bags of Food would become the sole foodbank for people in the TW17 postcode area. During April and May it helped as many people as it did through the whole of 2019; in May alone Bags of Food helped 238 people. What has been great has been the help given by the wider community of Shepperton. Many individuals have donated food and money, Rotary Club of Shepperton and Sunbury and Shepperton Aurora Rotary have given financially and organised food collections and local businesses have also helped. BP Express have passed on food which they’ve been unable to sell (as well as flowers which have been very well-received by people in social isolation), Brakes Foodservice have provided food from their depot in Thorpe and butchers Daines & Gray have also given a generous cash donation. Costa Coffee, Shepperton Pre-School and 1st Shepperton (St Nicholas) Scout Group also helped at the start of lockdown.
Bags of Food continues to help many people in the area; 19 families were given food in one day recently. As well as easily-stored food items, fresh food is bought in, and bags often include much-needed toiletries, nappies, toilet rolls and even the occasional bag of dog food. It’s unlikely this level of demand will reduce any time soon, and Bags of Food aims to be at the forefront of helping people out during difficult times to come, throughout Shepperton, Upper Halliford, Charlton and Littleton.
The picture above, taken by Stephen Andrews as part of the Shepperton Lockdown Doorsteps project, shows members of the Bags of Food team, at suitable social distance, outside the Jubilee Centre.
Donations can be made either by using the link below or by taking in date food and toiletries to Jubilee church on Manygate Lane (on week days only), where you will find a box in the porch for donations to be placed and also we have a trolley in Sainsburys for donations. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sheppertonlockdowndoorsteps