Food Bank Update

EMMA MAHONY

Over the Covid-19 outbreak, Plaw Hatch Farm customers have been generously donating to a Sussex-based food bank to ensure families in the area suffering from food poverty can eat. Emma Mahony, from Haywards Heath Emergency Food Bank, writes of how Plaw Hatch has shaped the food parcels people are receiving, and how it is making a difference in their lives.

There is no doubt that both the produce from Plaw Hatch Farm and the extra work of Jenny and her team in the farm shop have been a vital part of the success of the “ingredient bags” that we at the Haywards Heath Emergency Food Bank send out alongside the Food Parcels. These food parcels are sent out as a response to schools, doctors’ surgeries and other agencies identifying struggling families in West Sussex during these Covid times. It is in addition to the food parcels that were going out before the pandemic, organised by the Trussell Trust, who doubled their numbers before admitting they had hit capacity.

From the very first donation box, Plaw Hatch showed us three Foodbank warriors: Fiona Rocks in Ardingly, Lucinda Meagher in Cuckfield, and myself, Emma Mahony, in Sharpthorne – a better way. Using a simple tin, decorated in the inimitable Plaw Hatch way with a smiley face and handwriting, they started to ask their customers for money donations as well as food. For example, this simple tin attracted over £200 in donations in the last couple of weeks, on top of the food donations that the generous Plaw Hatch customers had donated to a basket. Again, when offering to spend the money in the shop, Plaw Hatch also made us think differently – what did we want to buy with it? Jenny suggested ingredients for a simple, homemade tomato pasta sauce: adding garlic, onions, tinned tomatoes, pasta and fresh herbs to the box of food donations.

This first donation box was the inspiration behind what later became the “ingredient bags”, that sit alongside the council’s emergency food rations. Plaw Hatch’s holistic approach to food inspired me to think not in terms of emergency rations, but what families needed to make a healthy meal and feed their children properly. From that, it grew to approaching local charity, IMPACT Foundation, (where one of our Foodbank Warriors, Lucinda Meagher, had worked,) to raise some additional funds. This way, we could offer up at least one healthy meal a week – with all the ingredients from cooking oil to vegetables, so they could follow a simple recipe. Up until that point, some of the boxes that we were delivering were at best uninspiring, and at worst not that healthy, with white sliced bread, white rice and pasta and nothing to put on it. 

Until the ingredient bags were introduced, the emphasis was on store cupboard ingredients, with non-store-cupboard items like eggs or cheese deemed unsuitable because of Best Before dates. However, with a little persuasion, we soon convinced the Covid-19 Mutual Aid group that our four collection points in Fellow’s Bakery in Ardingly, Costcutter’s in Sharpthorne, Horsted Keynes stores, and of course, Plaw Hatch Farm, meant that we could offer some variety to the very basic provisions. We were not taking away from the box, but adding something extra – an argument difficult to counter. These generous donations from Plaw Hatch customers mean that our families now receive fresh organic food, wholesome fare that would usually be out of the price range for those suffering from food poverty.

Last week, we counted over 1,000 meals had been donated to struggling families in West Sussex, and we pick up at least an additional family every week, so sadly we don’t see the demand dropping off any time soon. However, Plaw Hatch has helped shape something that goes beyond just basic items during these troubled times and is also supporting people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. This week, we collected some feedback from our recipients to check how well the ingredient bags were going down. It is anonymised for obvious reasons, but each quote represents a family. My favourite is from a lone parent with seven children who simply commented: “It’s so nice to have some proper food”.

“Our 16-year-old son made the stir fry; he really likes cooking and it helps his mental health.”

“The bag of food is a real help, especially at the end of the month when I have no money.”

“We made the pancakes, the children’s favourite.”

“I’m going to try the Bolognese and the kids really want to make the pizzas.”

“The [ingredient bags] have been a great help.  My 8-year-old son loves to cook, he’ll definitely want to make the popcorn.”

“Thanks so much for the bags, they have been great.  The stir fry was delicious and the kids loved making the pancakes.  We love the boxes because we can make the food with the children, we will definitely make the popcorn with them.”

“It’s so nice to have some proper food.”