Milestone 300th member for food pantry
A FOOD pantry helping Inverclyde residents to access high-quality goods at affordable prices has signed up 300 people after just two months.
Mum-of-three Alison Tosh, from Greenock, became the milestone member of The Pantry when she joined on Monday (8 February).
 300th member Alison Tosh (2).jpg)
The food store was launched in December by Inverclyde Council in partnership with Inverclyde Community Development Trust (The Trust), which is running the shop.
Located in Greenock’s Grieve Road, The Pantry offers people from across the district access to high-quality goods at affordable prices while saving surplus supplies from the scrapheap to reduce the impact of waste on the environment.
Alison, who works at Notre Dame High, was presented with a special hamper to add to her grocery shop to celebrate her becoming the 300th member.
She was encouraged to join after hearing good reports about The Pantry from her family and work colleagues.
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “It’s incredible that after just two months there are now 300 members signed up and enjoying the benefits of fresh, high-quality food at low prices while saving perfectly good produce from going in the bin unnecessarily.
“I was delighted to help launch The Pantry in December alongside our partners at The Trust. Well done to those involved in its success to date and for reaching this major milestone in such a short space of time.”
Anyone can sign up for an initial £1 annual membership fee, which will allow members to purchase a weekly £2.50 voucher to fill their bags with goods worth £10-£15.
The council is investing £60,000 in the pantry scheme and has provided the Grieve Road shop unit, which was lying empty and was chosen following a consultation process carried out by The Trust among residents across Inverclyde.
Allan Johnstone, chief executive of The Trust, said: “Reaching 300 hundred pantry members in our first eight weeks is a huge achievement and it shows just how popular the zero waste pantry is but we would not have reached this milestone without support from Inverclyde Council and the wider community.
“The response from the community has been overwhelming and we’re delighted that so many local people have come on board as volunteers and as pantry members.
“It really is a grassroots, community-led initiative which shows that people in Inverclyde care about reducing food waste.”
The Pantry is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10am-3pm.
To find out more about the food pantry and how to get involved, visit www.facebook.com/trustinverclyde or email andy.mccann@the-trust.org.uk.