New Food Store in Limehouse sorts your household bills into the bargain

A community Food Store has opened its doors in Limehouse for families to shop for groceries at a fraction of the price and get their household budgets put in order at the same time.

Stocking up... more than just a food bank, this comes with financial advice on managing the household bills. Picture: Poplar Harca - Credit: Harca

The families pay a weekly £3.50 for a three-month membership which gets them access to surplus healthy foods and support with debt and welfare benefits advice.

The Food Store which opened at Poplar Harca organisation’s Limborough House in Thomas Road, off Burdett Road, offers longer-term support than ordinary food banks with help on how to manage household debts.

“This marks a step up from our food bank scheme,” Food Store’s chief Masoom Ahmed said. “This pilot provides holistic support to weather the impact of food poverty and find the way to prosperous lives.”

The families are referred to the scheme for three months based on need by social agencies and housing associations. Its advisors then put them in touch with finance experts to help with their household budgeting.

Well stocked healthy produce at the Food Store in Picture: Poplar Harca - Credit: Harca

The scheme is being managed by Burdett football club, one of the organisations in the Burdett Mutual Aid group during the height of the pandemic, backed by Poplar Harca which provided the space and Tower Hamlets Council providing the cash. The project runs until October next year, part of the town hall’s Tackling Poverty programme.