A Teignmouth Food Bank is to benefit from a fundraising music night at Teignmouth Rugby Club on Saturday March 8.

Local band, Quadrant, whose line-up includes a Teignmouth Mutual Aid Community Larder volunteer, will be providing the soundtrack to the evening.

The band, which performs a variety of musical genres, was formed after four friends got together for jamming nights. They have since played gigs for a local hospice and a previous Community Larder event.

Teignmouth Mutual Aid Community Larder hopes to raise over £1000 from the night. ‘It’s not just about raising money, its’ about having good fun as well,’ said Jackie Jackson one of the founders of the Larder.

Last year, a similar event generated £1300 for the Community Larder.

Jackie and her husband Roger began delivering food packages during the Covid pandemic after realising there were high levels of need for the service in Teignmouth. The foodbank subsequently became a registered charity, Teignmouth Mutual Aid Community Larder, which has around 40 volunteers who buy, pack and distribute weekly food parcels for nearly 200 individuals, including children.

Running the Community Larder service costs around £800 per week and the charity is funded by donations and grants. ‘The generosity at Christmas was amazing and made a lot of difference for many people,’ Jackie said.

Food packs typically contain tinned meals, bread, long-life milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, rice or pasta, and cereals. National charity, Fareshare, contributes surplus foods from supermarkets for a small fee and local grocer, Tibbs, allows Teignmouth Community Larder to buy fruit and vegetables at cost to ensure the packs are healthier.

‘Child poverty rates are relatively high in Teignmouth compared to other towns in the region, Jackie revealed. In west Teignmouth, 31.5% of children are classified as living in poverty after housing costs are considered and, according to 2023 figures, the figure across the town is 17.7%.

Teignmouth Community Larder enables its users to self-refer. ‘One of the things our Larder users value the most is the belief, trust, and dignity, that we offer,’ explained Jackie. ‘No one wants to have to use a foodbank, and the bump in the road of life that causes it can be long or short. We find that our families and individuals usually turn things round with a bit of help, in anything between 2 weeks to 2 years, and we are there to be that little help. If food is secure, bills like electricity, gas, water and rent can be paid.’

Teignmouth Community Larder operates from Bitton House on a Wednesday morning and packs can be picked up or delivered. Anyone needing to use the Community Larder or wishing to volunteer should get in touch with Jackie.

‘We come to know and care about our families, and when they come to collect packs, we share a coffee and cake session, volunteers and larder users alike. It’s the best part of the week, catching up, chatting, talking, listening.’

The Community Larder music event takes place at 7pm on Saturday March 8 at Teignmouth Rugby Club. Tickets will be available on the door or you can contact Jackie T: 07917 428680.