A CHURCH-backed group is ready to step in to help hard-up Tavistock families cut their food bills as the cost of living continues to soar.

Volunteers are set to open the Tavistock food hub within the next month and offer families who are suffering financial hardship boxes of cut price food at a quarter of its normal price.

One of the organisers of the project, Tavistock Pioneer for Tavistock Methodist Circuit Ali Mansfield, said it was believed ‘many families’ in the area needed help.

And she added: ‘We are afraid there are going to be more, with fuel and food prices continuing the go up.’

The scheme, which will be set up at Tavistock’s Kings Church, works like this: Devon And Cornwall Food Action in Roborough, who work alongside Feeding Devon, collect surplus food from food industries such as supermarkets and brings it the food hubs to ensure tit does not go to landfill.

Instead the food, which is close to the ‘use by or sell by’ dates but has enough life in it, is distributed by the hubs and given out to the community, supporting families and reducing food waste.

Ms Mansfield, who stressed the project is not a foodbank, said: ‘Food hubs complement food banks, in that we can signpost those who may need to be supported by the foodbank, and we support those who cannot access a foodbank but need to support due to low income and so on.

‘Any excess food from the hub will be taken to the community fridge in the (Tavistock) library, so therefore the hub is helping to fill the gap between the foodbank and the community fridge, meaning more people can access support as bills and prices increase in cost.’

Food hubs can support the community with food boxes which are pre-packed boxes and ordered by people who need them.

But everyone in Tavistock the community, who would like to help reduce food waste, can go to the hub with a shopping bag and a £5 donation to choose from surplus fruit, vegetables, bread, cakes, crisps, dairy and other products.

The project will be run by a group of volunteers, who can direct people who need help to other agencies for support.

Ms Mansfield said the group are trying to trace people who might need help, but feel too ashamed to ask for it.

She said: ‘Once we find out who needs support, because they are perhaps working and on a low income, but do not qualify for foodbanks, we invite them to use the hub at a slightly earlier time so they can collect food without causing them embarrassment, as shame can be a reason for some people not coming forward for help.’

Ms Mansfield said the group was putting together a team of volunteers to deliver food to people who can’t get to the hub, which is scheduled to run on a Wednesday morning when it opens.

She added: ‘If people have a passion to help others, this is a fantastic outreach (scheme), as well as knowing that food surplus is being saved from landfills and is being used to feed families across the community.’

The project, which saw a similar operation recently set up in Horrabridge, is being backed by support groups Redeeming Our Communities and Feeding Devon, which has the ear of members of Parliament.

Anyone who wants to know more about the project should contact [email protected]