Members Newsletter | Issue 6
Welcome
Hello and welcome to Peckham Pantry’s Summer Newsletter!
This month’s main feature is ‘Saving Money at the Pantry.’ Becoming a member and a regular shopper at the Peckham Pantry will help you make some financial savings – especially during the cost-of-living crisis.
According to Your Local Pantry’s Social Impact Report 2023: New research shows Local Pantries save members £21 a week and improve health and well-being. Members of the UK’s largest networks of community food Pantries are saving £21 a week on shopping and enjoying significantly improved health and well-being, new research reveals.
Download the Report below:
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
Feature: Saving Money at the Pantry
Welcome to Peckham Pantry’s Summer newsletter. This month we will continue to explore the findings from the 2020-2022 report on Peckham Pantry. The focus will be on how the Pantry has helped members financially.
For a member who uses Peckham Pantry once a fortnight, this represents a financial saving of £702 per year.
The report found that members make substantial savings on products bought at Peckham Pantry.
In a survey of 286 members (November 2021), 95% of respondents felt that Pantry membership was value for money and 95% said it had made things a little or a lot better in terms of household finances.
“Peckham Pantry has helped me with my finances [as when] there’s no money left after paying bills it’s enabled me to buy nutritious food.” – Member
This is broadly similar to the response rate in November 2020 (based on 99 member responses). Analysis of a sample of nine member baskets in April 2021 suggests that the average cost of purchasing the same goods in a supermarket would have been £31.60 compared to £4.50 cost at the Pantry.
For a member who uses Peckham Pantry once a fortnight, this represents a financial saving of £702 per year.
Members who saved money through the Pantry described how it helped them towards paying off debt or rent arrears, contributed to paying for educational opportunities for their children, or even helped save up for a holiday.
“I’m saving a lot of money and I’m being able to allow my daughter to go on a camping trip with school.” – Member
Other members described how they weren’t ‘saving’ money, but it allowed them to afford food after paying other bills, in the context of the wider cost of living crisis.
“Since being introduced to the Pantry it has helped me to be able to survive better as it has been a very difficult time for a while now, and I am able to at least put food on the table during this difficult time, many thanks.” – Member
“I’m saving a lot of money and I’m being able to allow my daughter to go on a camping trip with school.”
– Member
Ambassadors of the Month:
Chiara
I have volunteered at Peckham Pantry for the past two years it has been an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience for me. The Pantry is an exceptionally welcoming place for both volunteers and members, where everyone is treated with dignity and equally, and you can count on a helping hand and a warm smile. It’s great to be part of such a special project and contribute to fighting inequality and improve people’s lives. Chiara
Dawn
Dawn joined The Pantry in May 2022. She gives up two afternoons a week to be with us and is also involved with The Pantry steering group. When you visit us, Dawn will be the first person to greet you and will always go out of her way to help and explain the process of how we work, with a big smile.
Elin and Saar's update from the Netherlands
We’re doing well and learned a lot from our work experience at the pantry. Hopefully we’ll pass our exams next year. After that Elin goes to college to become a paramedic. And I will go to college to be a journalist. We still do fun activities at school concerning our international courses.
We’re hoping to go to London again someday and will visit the pantry again.
Last week we had a theatre group from America coming over to make a musical together in English which was very fun. We’re hoping to go to London again someday and will visit the pantry again. We’re very grateful that we could do this together with everyone at the pantry and we’re missing you all! Greeting from the Netherlands!
Coffee Morning – September 2023
The next Peckham Pantry Coffee Morning will be on Wednesday 20 September from 9.30-10.30am outside the pantry on Peckham Park Road.
See you there!
For further information or any questions, please contact Flora on 07929 999 006.
100 Pantries! #YLP100 #SoMuchMore
Your Local Pantry is celebrating the addition of their 100th Pantry, which is a partnership between BeChange and Aylesham and District Community Workshop Trust in Aylesham, Kent.
To celebrate with Pantry volunteers and members, Your Local Pantry are sharing these activity sheets and posters for you to print and use. Download the links below:
Coming Soon …
We are collaborating with Southwark Council to support families locally to provide Healthy snack/options – it will come FREE with a customer’s shop.
More details coming soon.
Peckham Pantry's Summer Recipe: Couscous Salad
It’s sunny and a nice bowl of ice cream wouldn’t be a bad idea. All the ingredients for this recipe can be found at the Pantry.
Ingredients:
- Serves 6-8
- 250g (9oz) couscous
- 300ml (10 fl oz) cold water
- juice of 1 lemon
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 3 firm, medium-sized tomatoes, diced.
- 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
- 8 spring onions
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- a few sprigs of fresh mint, chopped
- 12 black or green olives, chopped (optional)
- Salt and pepper
Method
Put the couscous in a bowl, add the water and stir well. Leave to stand for about 20 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Fluff it up with a fork and break up any lumps.
For the dressing, mix the lemon juice and olive oil with some salt and pepper and the lemon zest. Stir into the couscous and leave to stand for at least 30 minutes, so that it absorbs the dressing.
Just before serving, mix in all the remaining ingredients.
BBC Food - £1 Dinners
Pantry Opening Times
49-53 Peckham Park Road, SE15 6TU
- Monday- 9am - 4pm
- Tuesday- 11am - 4pm
- Wednesday- 9am - 4pm
- Thursday- 10am - 7pm
- Friday- 9am - 4pm
- Saturday- 9am - 15pm
- Sunday- Closed
St Lukes Church, Chandler Way, SE15 6DT
- Monday- Closed
- Tuesday- Closed
- Wednesday- 11am - 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
