The Bread and Butter Thing grows in County Durham
10 hubs to be operational in County Durham as second van funded by Durham County Council
Over 500 families already benefitting from award-winning affordable food service
Hub 6 launches Monday 1st March in Annfield Plain, Stanley
The Bread and Butter Thing's sixth County Durham hub will launch at Annfield Plain Community Centre on Tuesday 1st March. The project has been so successful in County Durham since its launch in November 2020 that Durham County Council has invested in a second van, meaning a total of 10 hubs will be open by mid-2022 helping to make life more affordable for local residents.
The charity has received a warm welcome across the region and now has five hubs in County Durham, with another five expected to be open by the middle of 2022. TBBT's affordable food service means that for just £7.50 TBBT members’ shopping bags are filled with a minimum of £35 worth of items made up of quality fresh food and store cupboard staples from supermarkets, manufacturers and retailers.
Cllr Alan Shield, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for equality and inclusion, said: “It’s fantastic that with further financial assistance from ourselves and prominent community-led support, The Bread and Butter Thing is planning to launch another five hubs to help more residents across County Durham.
“We appreciate that for a lot of families the current economic situation - with rising food and energy prices - means they will struggle financially, which is why these additional hubs to the existing scheme are so vital.
“Its success is in no small part due to the immense commitment of local voluntary and community groups, which work so hard to support delivery of the programme.
“We are pleased to be able to provide further funding and help coordinate the community support for a second van, so the organisation can assist more of those in need through its important work.”
Mark Game, TBBT Chief Executive explains: "TBBT is about utilising surplus food to create routes out of poverty and build resilient communities, which is especially pressing right now with the rises in the cost of living and energy prices. Our members tell us that over 80% of them have previously had to skip meals to feed their families. By using TBBT, most save more than £25 a week on their food budgets with the added benefits of better quality and a bigger variety of food. This leads to healthier lifestyles and puts money back in people’s pockets. We also build bespoke eco-systems of support for each hub, bringing in experts to offer help and advice in everything from housing to health, ensuring that we are maximising people’s opportunities locally. And the icing on the cake is that we save tonnes of surplus edible food from going to waste. It's a win/win solution for communities and the environment."
This latest County Durham hub opening comes as part of another significant expansion of TBBT's work which will see projects open for the first time in Yorkshire and further growth in Cheshire, Greater Manchester and across the North East in 2022. Within the last year, TBBT has doubled its reach from its Trafford origins. A second TBBT warehouse opened in County Durham in November 2020, new vans have taken the fleet to 13, and over 50 hubs are now operational across the North of England including 17 in the North East, 2 in Cheshire, and 36 in the Greater Manchester area.
How to join:
Joining is simple. There are no joining criteria. People interested in using TBBT’s affordable food service need to register as members and should contact TBBT by email at hello@breadandbutterthing.org or text 07860 063304. There is also a sign up form and more information at www.breadandbutterthing.org/contact. Once registered, members receive a weekly text offering the food service which they can then collect at 1.15pm every Tuesday.
Want to help?
The service is reliant on the dedication and enthusiasm of its volunteers, with over 300 people giving their time each week to the charity which won the Queen's Award to Voluntary Service last year. Anyone interested in volunteering - at the new hubs, the Trafford warehouse or as a driver - can find out more and get in touch through TBBT's website www.breadandbutterthing.org.
Hub address:
Annfield Plain Community Centre, 23 New Front St, Annfield Plain, Stanley DH9 8HY
Hub time: 1.15pm on Tuesdays
Further hub details will be announced in coming weeks.