Members Newsletter | Issue 14
Welcome to Peckham Pantry’s Autumn 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to Peckham Pantry’s Autumn 2024 Newsletter written by Peckham Pantry Steering Group! We are a collective of pantry members, ambassadors and staff who meet once a month to share ideas for Peckham Pantry and plan events to engage with the local community.
We are still filled with energy from our events organised at Peckham Pantry this summer! Before we share our news, we would like to say good bye to two members of staff at the Pantry: Rachael and Ethan. We wish them well in their next adventure.
Summer Event
We held our summer event 27 June to coincide with the launch of the impact report. We had activities for children, a raffle with three great prizes for participants. We had tea, coffee and delicious homemade cake. Pecan’s CEO was our guest of honour and members were invited to share their favourite thing about Peckham Pantry on a flipchart. Here’s what members had to say:
‘The pantry is for everyone’
‘Dignified shopping experience’
‘Community Spirit’
‘Friendly people helping the community! There is always the opportunity to fill your shopping basket with all that’s needed for a convenient price.’
‘There is always the opportunity to fill your shopping basket with all that’s needed for a convenient price.’
– Peckham Pantry member
July Coffee Morning at St Luke’s Church
The Peckham Pantry Steering Group held their monthly Coffee Morning on Wednesday 10 July at St Luke’s Church. This is an opportunity for people to join us for tea, coffee, cake and a chat.
Back to School Event
We organised our Back to School Summer Event at Peckham Pantry on Saturday 7 September. We had games, including Connect 4 and “Pin the tail on the donkey”, a crafts table, and enjoyed plenty of snacks. Thank you to everyone who dropped by and for the lovely feedback from our members:
‘Thank you Pantry for this day. From our family to the pantry family. Fun Day!’
‘You brought this place alive today’
Diary Date: Peckham Pantry Half-Term Event
Thursday 31 October, 11am-12.30pm
Peckham Pantry
49-53 Peckham Park Road SE15 6TU
Join us for our steering group’s autumn event to celebrate the change of season at Peckham Pantry.
There will activities for children, including crafts and a reading corner. We will also be having some delicious autumnal snacks and treats! For more information email: flora.schweighofer@pecan.org.uk
Fundraising
Mr Bao in Peckham hosted a Food Festival weekend (14-15 July) with other local restaurants and to fundraise for Peckham Pantry and raised a total of £450. Thank you to everyone who donated, and to the team at Mr Bao for organising!
Donation from IHSOSA
Thank you to Yinka and the team from Ikeja High School Old Students Association (IHSOSA UK/Europe) for your generous donation of various food items and staples. Our customers will really appreciate this donation at the pantry.
Don’t forget…
To support our pantry and support the value it brings to many, please consider donating to the pantry via the Bankuet QR code or link. The Pantry is able to provide affordable food shops for their members because of the kindness and generosity of volunteers and donors.
Thank you.
Temi Okudiya
Peckham Pantry Manager
Pantry Opening Days
This past summer, we made the decision to close our pantry on Mondays. As we analyzed our visitor flow, it became clear that Mondays were consistently one of the quieter days of the week. After careful consideration, we felt that closing on Mondays would be the most efficient way to help us maintain the high level of service our community relies on while also giving our staff the time they need to prepare for the rest of the week.
By making this change, we’ve been able to enhance the quality of our operations. The extra time on Mondays has allowed our staff to restock shelves, organize donations, and plan for the busier days ahead. This buffer helps us improve the overall experience for those who visit the pantry, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that we are fully prepared to serve those in need.
What’s more, we were relieved to find that this adjustment did not lead to a decline in the number of visitors. Our community has adapted to the new schedule, and the midweek numbers remain steady. By concentrating our efforts on the busier days, we’ve been able to better serve our visitors without any negative impact.
In short, closing on Mondays has been a positive shift for both our staff and the community we serve. We’re proud to have made a decision that not only strengthens our pantry’s efficiency but also ensures that we continue to meet the needs of those who rely on us.
Shahid Mughal, Head of Food Services
‘We’re proud to have made a decision that not only strengthens our pantry’s efficiency but also ensures that we continue to meet the needs of those who rely on us.’
Ambassadors of the Month:
Carol
My name is Carol and I volunteer at Peckham Pantry once a week.
Some people are puzzled that I work for free on a Saturday, especially as I can get paid on a Saturday. The reason being that in the week I am a Contact Supervisor. This means working with clients under a lot of pressure due to losing their children who have been put in care.
I explain that I work at the Pantry because I find it rewarding. I get to work with a team who are warm and friendly and working at the pantry does not feel like a chore. I get to engage with people from all walks of life within a vast community. Seeing the relief on their faces when we show them items that they may have missed, the fact that they leave with a big bag of goodies they only paid £4.50 for!
I like that the team helps to put a smile on their faces with the service that is provided, ranging from offering a cup of tea, a chat, a dance and a sing song. The Peckham Pantry also gives me a lifeline after a hectic week.
Karen
Hi, I’m Karen! I started volunteering at the Pantry in October of last year.
I selected the Pantry as I wanted to contribute something back to the community that I have lived in for many years, and also wanted to meet new people, having spent so long working alone during COVID.
I’ve really enjoyed meeting and chatting with the customers and making new friends amongst the other volunteers and Pantry staff.
I appreciate how important being able to shop at the Pantry is to some people, so it feels nice being a part of the team that enables that to happen.
Fruit Salad Recipe by Bill Coleman from Peckham Pantry Steering Group
Ingredients:
- Half a pineapple
- 1 Packet of blueberries
- 2 Bananas
- 2 Red apples
- 1 Cup of Orange Juice
Method
- Wash and dry apples, core and quarter them and cut into bite sized chunks.
- Cut the pineapple in half and with a large sharp knife cut off outer skin, cut pineapple in half again with a downward slicing movement and cut out the core of the fruit. When that is done, cut the pineapple into bite sized chunks.
- Peel and slice the banana into fairly thick slices.
- Put all the prepared fruit into a bowl or a container that will hold all the fruit with room to spare.
- Add the blueberries and orange juice.
- And refrigerate until required.
BBC Food - £1 Dinners
Events at Pecan
Pecan is a community charity based in Peckham, Southwark since 1989 and Peckham Pantry is a part of Pecan’s Food Services. To find out more about Pecan and to become part of the Pantry’s wider community, visit Pecan’s website: www.pecan.org.uk and sign up to Pecan’s newsletter.
Black History Month Events | 17 October -1 November
Our programme of events have begun, and the upcoming workshops are:
29/10 – 11am-1pm Collage Workshop with Bold Tendencies
31/10 – 11am-1pm Book Group, Owning Narratives with Kunga, Adinkra Arts Collective
1/11 – 12-4pm Film Screenings ( shorts & a feature) with Q&A by Kunga, Adinkra Arts Collective
To attend any of these free events, please contact Vashti: together@pecan.org.uk
Pecan Day – Santa in the City Run | 4&5 December, 7pm
Join us to fundraise on Pecan Day at Santa in the City Run. Christmas is a crucial time in the fundraising calendar, so sign up and have fun while raising awareness for Pecan.
Running places include a 5-piece Santa Suit!
To sign up please email:
theresa.tsui@pecan.org.uk
Together Community Café and Warm Space
Mondays and Tuesday from 1-3pm.
All Welcome
For further information, please contact Vashti: together@pecan.org.uk
Bread and Salt
Every Friday | 10-12pm | Together Café at Pecan
You are welcome to relax with friends and make new ones with coffee, tea, fruit and cake alongside English conversation for Arabic speakers. There will also be games and craft activities For furter information, email: miriampoulton6140@gmail.com
tel: 07963 541133
Pantry Opening Times
49-53 Peckham Park Road,
SE15 6TU
- Monday - Closed
- Tuesday- 11am - 4pm
- Wednesday- 9am - 4pm
- Thursday- 10am - 7pm
- Friday- 9am - 4pm
- Saturday- 9am - 3pm
- Sunday- Closed
St Lukes Church, Chandler Way, SE15 6DT
- Monday- Closed
- Tuesday- Closed
- Wednesday- 10am - 2pm
- Thursday - Closed
- Friday - Closed
- Saturday - Closed
- Sunday - Closed
Vacancies
If you would like to become a Pantry Ambassador then contact us at:
email: pantry@pecan.org.uk
tel: 020 7277 7075.
website: www.pecan.org.uk/peckham-pantry
We currently partner with Tropical Sun, who support us by matching our purchases from them, pound for pound. We are committed to sourcing a diverse range of food for our members to have the best selection possible.Tropical Sun’s Partnership gives back to the local community, making it possible for us to stock an ethnically diverse range of food that caters to our members’ needs and tastes.
