February Volunteers Newsletter

As Plan B Covid restrictions are lifted we want to celebrate the achievements of all our volunteers who have helped keep Second Helpings full range of services running as normal during the last couple of months. Your support has enabled the Saturday café to safely remain open with volunteers serving customers food to their tables and the bunker to increase the number of days it is open, enabling more of our community to benefit.
 

Thank you to our fantastic volunteers who donated their time over Christmas & New Year

A special thank you to all the volunteers who gave up their time over Christmas and New Year to support with our Christmas day meal, kids takeaway ready meals, collections and extended bunker openings. The Team and Committee would particularly like to thank Harry Jervis, Lynda Jervis, Eleanor Jervis, Robin Waters, Anne Earle, Peter Earle, John Bangay, Paula Goodwin, Jacqui Rowledge, Rosie, Sophie Chapman, Shila Maher, Yvonne Hyde, Katie Bird, Maria Jammel, Maria Kyriakou, Nuala, Mark Green, Richard Shamsi, Julie White, Annich, Pauline Spiers, Debs, Trish, Maggie, Paula, Jane, Perry, Amanda, Audrey, Kyle, Jackie, Anne, Una, Victoria, Colleen and Paul. And last but by no means least Danillo & Alison Trozzi, owners of Just So Italian Leicester and Market Harborough, who once again cooked the Christmas day meal. Apologies for anyone we have missed, we love you all and are very grateful for what you do.

Huge thanks to our suppliers

Second Helpings couldn’t open its doors and operate its cafe, bunker & community fridge without our amazing local suppliers who donate their surplus food, preventing it from going to waste.

A huge thanks to

Kingscliffe bakers

Waitrose,

M&S Stamford & Bourne,

Lidl,

Aldi

Nisa local, Stamford Northfields

Tesco Stamford and Oakham,

Cuckoo Farm,

Riverford Organic,

Sainsbury Stamford & Bourne

Food Bank – Stamford and Bourne

Ian of Prentice bros, Deepings recycling centre

Graham - RTT food boxes,

Rosy - Peterborough community fridge

GXO

& last but not least John who donates large quantities of herbs from his garden for the cooks

Safeguarding Course

We take the safeguarding of our volunteers and customers extremely seriously and require all our team leads on every shift to have a DBS check and have a ‘Foundation Level’ Safeguarding Certificate. We also welcome all of our volunteers to take the safety and safeguarding session to help us to improve our safeguarding and safety knowledge and skills.

This session is designed for anyone in a volunteering capacity as part of the Stamford Methodist Circuit. The next session is planned for 26th March at Oakham Methodist Church 10am to 2pm, includes lunch and is completely free.

To book or discuss any accessibility or learning requirements please email SMCSafeguarding@gmail.com or call Charlotte Davis, one of our Circuit Safeguarding Officers on 0797 606 4410

Date for your diary! Volunteer Social - 12th March 3-5pm

Unfortunately, we had to postpone our volunteers social planned for January, but we are delighted to invite all volunteers to come together for tea and cake on Saturday 12th March from 3:30-5:30pm in the Stamford Methodist Church hall. This is a chance for you to meet other volunteers from all the teams as well as committee team members, who will share news and information to keep you all up to date with new initiatives.

Please do come along for a cup of tea, cake and a chat and the chance to win some fantastic raffle prizes - we look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you and a fond farewell to George

Sadly, George Hetherington has decided the time is right for him to resign from from his role at Second Helpings. Second Helpings, Stamford began 7 years ago following George’s introduction to the Real Junk Food Café. This quickly followed with a visit to the first Cafe in Leeds and another in Saltaire.

George had a vision to bring the concept to Stamford, reduce food waste and reduce food poverty by making this reclaimed food accessible to all on a pay-as-you-feel basis. Following a lot of work by a passionate team of volunteers a proposal was made to the Stamford Methodist Church Council to launch the concept.

Following successful approval of the plan the team began contacting local businesses to ask for their surplus food and started the Saturday Café. As more supermarkets, farms and suppliers supported the project there was more food than we needed for the Cafe and so the bunker was started.

Following the success of the bunker and the demand for this food in the community the bunker was refurbished and shortly after that the Community Fridge was installed in 2019 and the tunnel art was commissioned.

Second Helpings, Stamford played a very important role supporting the community during Covid-19 and has exited the pandemic stronger and ready to continue to work in partnership with our suppliers and community to reduce food waste in Stamford. We thank George for the role he has played in this journey and we wish him and Jan the very best for the future.

Thank yous and donations

A massive thank you to all the businesses, organisations and individuals who donated or sponsored

Second Helpings in 2021. Your donations allow us to continue to run our Community Fridge, Bunker and the Saturday Café by paying for utilities, PPE, cleaning equipment and additional food items and equipment for the café.

Donations

Stamford Cycle Club £161.25

Private donation £100

Waitrose £353.00

Private donation £50.00

Co-Op Fund £3,880.00

Lincs Food Partnership/ Bishop Grosseteste

University £3877

Private donation £200.00

Private donation £100.00

Labour Party Quiz £270.00

Cummins £1,000.00

Private donation 300

Oundle Assoc £50.00

Essendine Residents £50.00

Daniel Lambert Lunch Club £500.00

SKDC £1,000.00

Stamford Chamber Orchestra £28.50

HC Beer Trust £1,000.00

Evergreen £200.00

Private donation £25.00

Norman Scholes Funeral Donations £597

Private donation £5110

Private donation £170

Cycle Club £2223

Calendar Year 2021