Second Helpings rewarded for Pandemic Support by Stamford Town Council
On Sunday 4th July, Second Helpings was invited to an event at Stamford Townhall, hosted by the Town Council, as part of National Thank You Day. Second Helpings, along with 14 other community and voluntary organisations, was awarded a certificate of appreciation for our support of the Stamford Community during the pandemic. Congratulations to all our volunteers who have been part of the great team, which has served our community through these challenging times.Second Helpings acknowledges the help of its volunteers
In June Second Helpings celebrated Volunteers Week. At Second Helpings we have over 250 volunteers who, since the start of the pandemic have given up their time to collect fresh produce, clean, cook, serve in the bunker and many more roles. Every single role is incredibly important and enables Second Helpings to open its doors 5 days a week and has helped us to serve 13,920 people last year alone.
Second Helpings are announced as Best Social Enterprise in the 2020 Rutland and Stamford Mercury Business Awards
Second Helpings commitment to supporting the community during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic with takeaway meals and extended bunker opening hours as well as working closely with other local organisations were recognised by Janet Meenaghan, principle of New College Stamford, who was judging the category this year.Kitchen Refurb at Stamford Methodist Church ensures Second Helpings cooks have a new catering standard facility
The main kitchen at Stamford Methodist Church has been refurbished thanks to ALLCHURCHES TRUST, Rotary Club of Stamford St Martin’s, The Harry Skells Trust, Lincolnshire Community Foundation, The Laing Family Trust and South Kesteven Community Fund. Their generous contributions ensures the Second Helpings cooks are able to serve our community for many years to come.Second Helpings support local families with free packed lunches in the bunker
During the 3rd national lockdown Second Helpings
is encouraging parents to visit the bunker to collect packed lunches for
their kids, along with any other grocery items they need. While parents are
home schooling their children, many are finding their food bills have shot up
as they are providing all meals and snacks at home. Volunteers are welcoming
many more families and supporting them with sandwiches, drinks, snacks, fruit
and takeaway meals.Second Helpings serves their biggest Christmas meal ever
Volunteers at Second Helpings serve up their biggest Christmas day meal ever with 270 meals, treat bags and presents delivered to members of the community thanks to a generous donation from BGL and the hard work of Second Helpings volunteers alongside Danilo and Alison Trozzi from Just So Italian Deli’s.Second Helpings Stamford announced as winner in the category for Business Social Enterprise at glittering event ceremony!
Second Helpings Stamford were crowned a winner at this year’s Stamford Mercury Business Awards on Friday evening. This was the 13th time that the Stamford Mercury has held the awards, growing exponentially year on year. The event is a prestigious occasion and brings together businesses from all local areas including Stamford, Bourne and Rutland.Food project marks milestone. More than 100 people sat down to eat at Second Helpings’ third anniversary party in Barn Hill Methodist Church, Stamford, last Saturday.
The evening was full of fun and friendship, with a three-course meal prepared and served by volunteers, and entertainment provided by Mamas of Swing.
The guest speaker for the dinner was Duncan Milwain – chairman of the national Real Junk Food Project. He founded the Shipley Food Project four years ago, which provided the inspiration for Second Helpings. Duncan works with a number of projects and charities throughout the UK with one key objective – “Feed Bellies not Bins”.
Second Helpings plays host to special guests
Second Helpings’ Saturday lunchtime café played host to some very special guests last Saturday. Some of the leading folk from The Methodist Church joined over 116 other guests for a scrummy lunch.
“Second Helpings was mentioned to everyone wherever the president and vice president went, including the Lord Mayor of Leicester when he hosted us for breakfast in the Mayor’s parlour.”
Strutt and Parker organises rounders tournament at Witham School to raise money for Stamford Second Helpings and Farming Community Network
Teams of 10 people were entered by Wilkin Chapman Solicitors, Saffery Champness, Smithers Purslow, Roythornes Solicitors, Chattertons and Strutt and Parker.
A hog roast and drinks were enjoyed after the tournament and a raffle took place with prizes donated by staff at Strutt and Parker, which contributed to the final net amount raised of £1,294.
“We were delighted to hand over a cheque for £647 to Stamford Second Helpings,” said the company’s Rachel Elliott.
The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply does its bit to help eliminate homelessness through its community fund.
The firm presented staff from St George’s Church in Stamford with a number of items to distribute to homeless individuals such as filled rucksacks with four season sleeping bags, and other items, plus bivvy bags and tents. Part of the funding also went towards feeding local people at Christmas through Second Helpings and other food items will be purchased and donated to the Stamford Foodbank in January.
Second Helpings have received an early Christmas present that will take make preparing food much easier.
The community cafe based at Stamford Methodist Church in Barn Hill, is celebrating thanks to the Stamford branch of Waitrose, which has donated a state of the art Magimix food processor. John Evans, deputy branch manager of Waitrose Stamford, said: “We’re delighted to give Second Helpings a helping hand. It will make life a whole lot easier in the kitchen.”
Second Helpings get grant aid - A Stamford community cafe that intercepts food that would otherwise go to waste, has won a grant of over £3,000.
George Hetherington said: “It was absolutely wonderful to hear we’d received the grant. We are going to put the community fridge at Barn Hill Methodist Church. The fridge will be available for anybody to take any food that they need.” David Marlow, chief executive of The Nottingham Building Society, said: “Grants For Good is part of the society’s Doing Good Together programme, which since it was launched in 2010 has donated over £950,000 to good causes.”
A market stall with a difference was at Stamford Market on Friday.
Run by Second Helpings, the stall was publicising the high volume of food wasted throughout the world by giving away pumpkins, along with recipes for pumpkin cheesecake; pumpkin, sage and sausage spaghetti; and pumpkin and pear soup.
The man using ‘junk food’ to stop food waste – BBC News
Adam Smith wants to tackle the world’s food waste problem, and thinks his idea can feed millions of hungry people.
His Real Junk Food Project is a runner-up in the Food Chain’s 2018 Global Food Champion Award in the BBC Food and Farming Awards.
Real Junk Food Project: The Leeds cafe that has fed 10,000 people, using 20 tonnes of unwanted food has started a worldwide movement.
The Real Junk Food Project feeds punters on goods that would otherwise have been thrown away by supermarkets, independent grocers and food banks
The Leeds-based project feeds offers stews, casseroles, soups and cakes with the unwanted food, charging a ‘pay as you feel’ policy. The founder of a quietly-growing empire of social cafes, Adam Smith, has called on a change in the law to prevent the UK’s “criminal” levels of food waste – especially by supermarkets – while so many go hungry.