Category: News

One of our aims for last weekend’s Ledbury Big Soup was to raise awareness of the work of Ledbury Food Bank.

Mark Lister from the Food Bank has provided the following update…

Founded in 2012 to provide emergency food and support at St Katherine’s Hall, over 70 volunteers are now delivering the Food Bank’s services from an industrial unit at Homend Trading Estate, near Ledbury Railway Station to which it moved in 2021.

The new premises allow for more flexibility and capacity for service delivery and is open on Wednesday and Friday from 10am to midday. We are now also open each Thursday evening between 6.00 and 8.00pm.

People needing the Food Bank’s help (clients) may be referred there by local agencies, but can seek help directly by phone or in person when the Food Bank is open.  Clients’ needs are assessed and they are given a shopping list from which they can pick from a range of regularly stocked items (food and household), which is then made up for them.  They can also select other items not on the list including seasonal fruit and vegetables and other donated food.

But it’s more than just food.  The Food Bank’s skilled coordinator staff will check to see if other help can be provided to the client.  This could be assistance in sorting out non-receipt of the correct state benefits, debt advice, budgeting, housing advice and addressing fuel insecurity.  The Food Bank links with other local support agencies to help people from reaching a crisis point, and make sure they can afford the essentials like food.

At the same time the Food Bank offers a safe and welcoming hub where people can meet and perhaps share a breakfast. The food bank is also now a Warm Space. It is open each Wednesday and Friday between 12.00 and 4.00 for anyone to spend some time in a warm environment over the winter.

Mark Lister said ‘These are very worrying times for many people, the food bank is here to try and help remove some of the stress for people struggling with the rising cost of living’.

How can we help?

Donating food – use the collection points at the Co-op, Tesco and One Stop or schemes run by local churches or businesses.

Donating produce – contact the Food Bank if you have a surplus of seasonal fruit or veg from your garden or allotment.  It will be a welcome addition to what’s on offer.

Donating money – Money is used to keep up the stock of staple items, for running costs and for professional services, including advice services – the Food Bank has over 50 regular donors, and one off gifts always help. You can give online, by standing order (ask for bank details) or in person.

Donating time – contact the Food Bank if you can help as a volunteer.  There are many ways you can get involved.

Contact Details

Phone: 07581 283092

Email: food@ledburyfoodbank.org

In Person: Unit 1, Homend Trading Estate, Ledbury HR8 1AR

Opening Hours: Wednesday and Friday 10am to midday, Thursday evenings between 6pm and 8pm.

Website: www.ledburyfoodbank.org (online donations)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soup is a great food for Autumn and Winter.  We are inviting local food shops, hotels, cafes and butchers to tempt you with their best offerings in the Ledbury Big Soup being held on Saturday 26^th November. 

More than 15 local businesses will be taking part and the format will be like the Ledbury Big Breakfast.  There will be soups to eat in or take out, and food shops will have the ingredients for you to create your own soup at home.  We will have recipes available for you to experiment.

Businesses will be offering their normal fare as well, and some may be serving soup on Sunday 27^th November for the Ledbury Christmas Lights switch on.

Remembering the increasing needs of our Ledbury community, businesses taking part are being asked to make a contribution in cash or food to Ledbury Food Bank

Details of who is offering what and when will be available at this website from early November. 

Soups made with local seasonal produce are just the kind of sustainable and nourishing foods that the recently published Herefordshire Food Charter encourages us to eat.

Find out more about the charter and how you can sign up to it at https://herefordshirefoodcharter.org.uk/

Come along to the Food Group’s stall in the Charter Market on Saturday 19^th November from 9am to 1pm to find out more about local food.

Ledbury Food Bank will be there to tell you how you can help them to help the community

Good souping!

We will post more about next month’s Ledbury Celebration annual food festival with added music, poetry and heritage shortly…but you can put the date in your diary – 11am to 5pm in St Katherine’s Car Park, Ledbury on Sunday 10th July.

But these events don’t happen by chance – we are looking for help with stewarding the event as a general steward or helping on the Food Group stand. We are looking for an hour or two of your time between 11am and 5pm. You won’t be on your own, and there will be professional stewards on site to help.

It’s a day when Ledbury receives many visitors and we want to put on a good show.

If you can spare an hour or two please contact David at 01531 634033 or Griff on 01531 633637

and…

If you know someone who likes putting up or taking down gazebos – please send them our way.

The buds are starting to burst on the apple trees, last autumn’s cider is getting ready to be tasted, and the time is fast approaching for Blossomtime in and around Putley where the Big Apple has been welcoming visitors for thirty years.  Having cancelled this spring event in 2020 and 2021, the community organisation behind the Big Apple is delighted to be able to invite them back again on Sunday 1^st and Monday 2^nd May. 

“When we were able to hold our autumn event last October, visitors were enthusiastic about the opportunity to enjoy being out and about in the countryside”, says spokesman Jackie Denman.  “Our cider and perry community responded so positively when we managed to arrange a delayed Big Apple Cider and Perry Trials in July 2021.  Now we can bring it all together again, with a Grand Cider Tasting at Putley Parish Hall, time spent under the apple trees at Dragon Orchard, and one-off events at Court Farm Aylton and Pixley Festival Church.  The full programme is available online at www.bigapple.org.uk.  We can’t wait to get back!”

As well as opportunities to taste a whole range of entries to the Cider and Perry Trials, cider and perry on sale will include Artistraw Cider and Perry, Bartestree Cider, Gregg’s Pit Cider and Perry, Halfpenny Green Cider Company and Pope’s Perry.

Highlights include:

• ‘#RethinkCider’, a talk from Jane Peyton, the UK’s first accredited ‘pommelier’ and founder of the School of Booze.
• Drop-in printmaking with Laughing Betsy, supported by the Elmley Foundation, using ‘kitchen lithography’ and inspired by objects and images on loan from local families associated with cidermaking and apple growing.
• Three guided walks each day will tell the stories of the orchards in and around Putley – will it be Norman’s Gap, Dorothy’s Delight or Nigel’s Pride? 
• And, of course, there will be the usual delicious lunches and teas (and this time a brunch) provided by local community groups.