A BOROUGH charity has expanded its support again, opening another venue in Shinfield.
Share Wokingham provides free, fresh food to any residents in need of a helping hand — without requiring a referral.
The charity began in Norreys in 2020, and opened in Shinfield Baptist Church last week.
It has locations in Winnersh, Finchampstead, Woodley and Bracknell.
Claire Revie, Share volunteer, said that the Shinfield branch is being managed by Helping Hands, a community project launched by Sarah O’Neill and Rachel Walker before the pandemic.
Ms Walker said that both her and Ms O’Neill had hoped to collaborate with Share for a while.
“When Share first came on our radar, it wasn’t quite the right time,” Ms Walker explained. “In the summer, we popped over to Norreys to have a look at how they run things. We were really inspired.”
Ms O’Neill said that they met again in autumn, to discuss formally opening in Shinfield, and have spent the last new months preparing for last week’s first day.
Ms Walker said that within the 90 minutes it was open, residents had collected all of the food.
This included fresh bread, cakes, pastries, fruit and vegetables.
Each time that Share opens, the food that volunteers are able to give away varies.
This is because the charity works directly with supermarkets and shops across the borough to reduce food waste, re-distributing surplus stock or end of day items to anyone in need.
This includes food from Gail’s Bakery, Greggs, Co-op, M&S, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi and food supplier Brakes.
“It was soul destroying to think that this food could have gone in the bin,” Ms Walker said. “Especially when there are so many people struggling on your doorstep.”
Ms O’Neill added: “We really care about being part of the solution [to food waste]. We care about the planet, and this is excellent food that would otherwise be going in the bin.”
As part of Helping Hands, Ms Walker and Ms O’Neill have been part of the pop-up Foodbank at Shinfield Baptist Church, providing fresh food, toiletries and cupboard parcels to residents.
This is supported by Sallyann Hunt, Associate Pastor, and a team of volunteer drivers.
“With this new project with Share, it will allow people to come out and choose what food they would like,” Ms Walker said. “It’s important that people have a choice.”
Ms O’Neill added: “It makes it more empowering, people can come and choose what they want and what they need.”
On Mondays, Share is at Shinfield Baptist Church from 12.30pm to 2pm, and at Emmanuel Church Centre, in Woodley, from 3.30pm to 5pm.
It is at the FBC Centre in Finchampstead from 10am to noon on Tuesdays.
On Wednesdays, it is at the Rainbow Centre, in Winnersh, from 1.30pm to 3pm.
And on Fridays, it is open at Norreys Church in Wokingham from 12.30pm to 2.30pm, and at St Andrews Church in Bracknell from 1pm to 3pm.
