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Published on Friday 03 July 2020

Partnership working helps to feed Turlin Moor and Hamworthy communities

Over the last few months, local groups, charities and organisations in Hamworthy and Turlin Moor have been working to support their vulnerable neighbours through the lockdown.

An increasing number of people across the area are struggling with isolation and food poverty and local groups are maximising their efforts to ensure people receive vital help during this difficult time.

New initiatives have been launched as well as existing projects adapted to meet current needs, these include:

  • a community food store on Turlin Moor run by a partnership of local charities and people

  • cooked meals, delivered by The Friendly Food Club

  • Hamworthy Food Bank

  • a team of volunteers coordinated by Hamworthy Churches.

Moor Community Foodis a pop-up community store for residents who are finding it hard to find nutritious food at a reasonable price. It was set up on 2 June and currently opens twice a week on Tuesday (1pm to 3pm) and Wednesday (5pm to 7pm) at St Gabriel’s Church Hall. It costs £1 to become a member and then people pay a suggested donation of £2.50 to £3 for up to 10 items, plus extras of the day.

Ann Khambatta is a community worker for local charity Poole Communities Trust and helped to set up Moor Community Food after receiving numerous calls from residents asking for help. She said: "The food is surplus and is supplied by Poole Community Exchange and comes from Fareshare, supermarkets and other organisations locally. We’re a good example of the community helping the community. We have eight volunteers who work hard to log the deliveries, check the best before dates, stock the food, lay out the store twice a week and undertake food collections."

"There are 72 signed up members and 50 people have attended each week. Thank you to all the volunteers, the council’s community food co-ordinator and environmental health teams for their advice and many others who have helped get this project off the ground in a very short space of time."

Hamworthy Churchesare working on other projects in the wider area. This includes emergency food parcels for individuals and families in crisis situations, prepared cooked meals for residents who are extremely vulnerable due to age, health factors, or living on their own during isolation. The Friendly Food Club have access to the kitchen at St Michael's Church and are delivering cooked meals to people across Hamworthy and Turlin Moor.

Tessa Nisbet, Rector of Hamworthy Parish, said: "As a church we have always worked with local groups to support and serve the needs of vulnerable people. At this time, we are seeing a big increase in the need, due to people losing their jobs or being forced to isolate, but we've also seen an increased willingness to help as people pull together. Hamworthy Together is an attempt to join the dots so that everyone can get the help they need at this incredibly difficult time."

Councillor Vikki Slade, Leader of the Council, added: "Yet again local people have combined efforts to support one another through the pandemic and beyond. I’m pleased our community food co-ordinator was able to help strengthen the network of food support already taking place in Turlin Moor and Hamworthy. By linking up various organisations, we have been able to enhance the redistribution of surplus food to not only reduce food waste but to help provide an affordable option for those struggling."

Find out more

Find out more details about the local groups involved:

If you would like to support this work, visit the groups' giving page:

Together We Can, community response

Residents who are living in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area who need food or other vital support, can contact the council’s Covid-19 helpline on 0300 1237052.

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