School food is in the news again after a Headteacher in Southampton complained about the “completely unacceptable” meals being provided to students and apologised to parents. The photos he posted of some of the meals being served at his school canteen went viral under the headline, “how hard is it bake a potato?”.1 At Good …
Continue reading ““No one eats a proper meal, everyone is just snacking.””
Refugee Manager, Jess Brooks writes about a new post funded by Surrey County Council to support Ukrainian families to access and navigate the education system. In a world where education is the key to unlocking countless opportunities, ensuring that every individual has access to quality education is paramount. Epsom & Ewell Refugee Network (EERN) is …
Helen Barnard, Director of Policy, Research and Impact at the Trussell Trust recently spoke at a small event for staff and a few of our partners and supporters. We think her insights and knowledge are worth sharing, so Jen Barnard nb. no relation! (Strategy Lead) has summarized some of Helen’s key points here: The most …
Continue reading “The worrying rise in deep poverty and what we can do to solve it”
Pantry Manager Bex writes about a new pilot project: The Christmas Saving Scheme In the lead up to this festive period Epsom Pantry has been trialling a new initiative suggested by members and clients: a Christmas Saving Scheme. The idea came out of the Next Steps Focus Groups that were held with members of Epsom …
My counselling journey began 30 years ago when I received counselling as I was struggling with my mental health, around that time, I was also introduced to the Christian faith. Five years later I started my first counselling course at Nescot college. I continued studying and finally qualified at Spurgeon’s College after 8 years. It …
Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a very public intervention about housing, reiterating the government’s target to build 1 million new homes over this parliament and extend home ownership to many more households. “Only Conservatives will provide the housing we need,” he claimed. What was missing from his statement was any mention of the …
Last week we celebrated the end of a fantastic year of English lessons at Epsom & Ewell Refugee Network. Over the past year, EERN has provided 42 hours of English lessons each week to over 130 students. These lessons take place at the Ukrainian Hub in Epsom, which is a space that is generously shared …
Continue reading “A community built alongside English lessons”
Last week we marked the 1-year anniversary of Epsom Pantry opening its doors, with the aim of providing greater dignity and choice to people experiencing poverty and food insecurity in our community. Epsom Pantry Manager Bex Loomes writes: As soon as you walk through the door of Epsom Pantry you feel the buzz of a …
Poverty Lead Tom Sefton writes about the next phase of the East Surrey Poverty Truth Commission……Whenever I go to one of our Foodbank centres, I am struck by how resilient people are in the face of adversity. As one of our clients said to me recently, “I think I’ve been through more in the past …
Continue reading “East Surrey Poverty Truth Commission – watch this space!”
Foodbank Volunteer Coordinator, Jackie, writes: Each year in June there is a week dedicated to the celebration of volunteers all over the country. It is a way to publicly thank the millions of people who volunteer hours of their time to various charities and projects throughout the UK. The theme for 2023 is – Volunteering …
Our mission is to see a community free from poverty, where everyone can afford life’s essentials.
