A Teignmouth food bank will be able to continue supporting households in need thanks to a number of recent fundraisers.

An event at Teignmouth rugby club on Saturday (March 8) raised £850 for Teignmouth Mutual Aid Community Larder. Band, Quadrant, whose bass guitarist volunteers for the Larder, played to a packed crowd. ‘It was a brilliant evening with all ages enjoying the band and dancing the night away,’ reported Jackie Jackson, who set up Teignmouth Community Larder with her husband Roger during lockdown.

Earlier this month, children attending Teign Tutoring raised £107.80 for the larder after they came to their lessons dressed in pyjamas and onesies. ‘My Wise Owls always rise to the challenge to raise funds for the local community,’ commented tutor Sarah Marshall-Maun. ‘They love making a difference.’

Teignmouth Community Larder was also the recipient of a £1,500 grant from Tesco after customers voted for the charity with blue tokens at the supermarket’s stores in Teignmouth and Kingsteignton.

Teignmouth Mutual Aid Community Larder is a registered charity that provides essential support for the community in Teignmouth, Shaldon and Bishopsteignton.

More than 40 volunteers help buy, pack and distribute food packs for nearly 200 individuals.

A typical food pack contains tinned meals, bread, long-life milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, rice or pasta, and cereals. The Larder pays a membership to Fareshare so it can access surplus foods from supermarkets. The Tibbs family also allows the charity buy fruit and vegetables at cost price to ensure the packs are healthier.

There are many reasons people need to use the Larder, which operates on a self-referral basis.. ‘No one wants to have to use a foodbank,’ Jackie said. ‘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.’