New Cosham community project will help get food to those who need it most | The Rev Amy Webb

IT MIGHT seem like lots of things are being stopped or cancelled at the moment as we make our way through a second Covid lockdown.
By The Rev Amy Webb
Published 13th Nov 2020, 12:09 BST
The Rev Amy Webb, vicar of Cosham and Wymering, at the site of the new Cosham Larder.The Rev Amy Webb, vicar of Cosham and Wymering, at the site of the new Cosham Larder.
The Rev Amy Webb, vicar of Cosham and Wymering, at the site of the new Cosham Larder.

But at the heart of Cosham something exciting is growing and developing. The old, dilapidated, ladies bowling pavilion in Cosham Park is being given a new lease of life. It is being turned into the Cosham Community Larder.

This is a joint project between St Philip’s Church in Cosham, St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Wymering, the Hive, Southern Co-op and Portsmouth City Council.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Cosham Larder will provide low-cost, staple food, to members living within the areas of Cosham, Wymering and Paulsgrove, for a small membership fee.

Unlike a foodbank, you pay for your shopping, but at a much reduced rate. And you don’t need a referral to join, as anybody living in the designated geographical locations can become a member.

The aim is to make healthy, staple food accessible to everyone, without stigma. We’ll also be able to signpost people to other support services they might need, whilst preventing excess food ending up in landfill sites.

Cosham Larder is a membership scheme. It costs just £1 a year for individuals to become a member.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Once they have joined, they can purchase a bag of tasty food items every week for just £3! I’m really pleased that it is yet another way in which churches and community groups in Portsmouth are involved in helping to care for those who might otherwise go hungry during our current difficulties.

With a proposed opening date of Saturday, December 12, Cosham Larder will provide families with a choice of good-quality food at a low cost, while also reducing food waste and removing the hurdles and stigma that prevent people from accessing essential food. That’s something which is particularly needed at this time, as we face the challenges brought about by a global pandemic.

The larder is a community project, set up, supported, and run by local people, for local people. If you want to know more or you’d like to volunteer to support this great project, checkout our ‘Cosham Larder’ page on Facebook, or see coshamandwymering.org/larder, or email us on [email protected].

Related topics:Wymering