The Boar News visits local Coventry food hub

As the Coventry Food Network launch an urgent £5,000 Christmas appeal, The Boar News paid a visit to a local food hub.  

During the visit, the news team sorted food and stocked shelves at Cheylesmore Food Hub, hearing the first-hand experience of volunteers who give up their time to help those in need.  

Cheylesmore Food Hub was recently featured on the BBC website after it launched a doorstop appeal. They belong to the Coventry Food Network who distribute food across the Coventry Area.  

Many food banks in Coventry have seen a significant drop in donations because of the cost-of-living crisis, which means that they are urgently appealing for donations to keep them covered for the winter period.  

Volunteers at Cheylesmore spoke about the positive impact they felt they were having; some had started volunteering after having to use a food bank themselves.  

“You go out on a Saturday, you deliver, and you see the smile on people’s faces,” one volunteer, Gary, said.  

“The meat we get is from Aubrey Allan, the butchers to the Queen, so these people are treated to some amazing food.”  

Gary said that Cheylesmore Food Hub differs from other food banks because food is delivered, rather than customers coming to collect food in-person. He, as well as other volunteers, said that this helps to remove the “stigma” around using a food bank.  

Jane, a retiree, spoke about the social aspect of helping out at Cheylesmore: “I think it’s wonderful what we do; it lifts us all up. It just feels good to help people.  

“Even if you’ve had a bit of a rough week, you come down, you chat to people, you make tea and coffee.” 

“We don’t do it for recognition or praise, we do it because we want to.”

Volunteers also said that Cheylesmore delivers food to some students, which reflects findings from a recent NUS survey that an estimated one in ten university students are resorting to food banks to make ends meet.  

The Coventry Food Network is trying to raise £5000 to bulk purchase food for 15 Coventry food hubs and social supermarkets (which operate more like supermarkets in allowing customers to choose food from shelves).  

Coventry Food Network operates through a membership scheme, which offers about £25 worth of food at a cost of £5 to their members, who include people on low incomes, pensioners, students, and working people struggling to pay their bills.  

Cheylesmore Food Hub told The Boar that: “Without the support of the Food Network and its partner organisations like us, many families would continue to suffer this Christmas.” 

To volunteer, or to make a donation to the Coventry Food Network and Cheylesmore Food Hub, please visit their Facebook pages.  

Struggling with the cost of living? The SU advice centre can issue food bank vouchers, and beyond that, the university provides a hardship fund in certain circumstances.