Stuart Woodward
BBC News, Essex
Stuart Woodward / BBC
Carolyn Hobbs uses the hub with Witham because his pension “stretches only so far”
A new community supermarket has opened its doors in a city, due to a similar establishment near the evil to meet demand.
The Braintree hub in Essex contains grocery stores and everyday items that can be purchased by its members at a reduced price.
His sister Hub in Witham experienced an increase in people traveling from Braintree to use his services due to the cost of living crisis.
The founder of The Hubs, Tina Townsend, said that the local assistance demand was “quite frightening”.
‘Sent the pinch’
Members pay annual costs of £ 5, allowing them to use the community supermarket. HUB premises will also contain IT facilities and there are plans for coffee in the future.
“I have already had more than a thousand messages on when we open, what time, what days,” Ms. Townsend told the BBC.
“We will try, we will do our best and if we lack stock on the first day, we will just have to restock the second day.”
John Fairhall / BBC
Laura Fowle started using the Witham Hub when her working hours were reduced by 25%
Laura Fowle, 45, has used the Witham hub in recent months to buy food at reduced prices. Accountant in London for 19 years, she knows how to manage her money, but her working days have been reduced from four to three.
“I was completely ok before, but now I really feel the pinch-some months, there is less money than I hoped,” she said.
“(The hub) made a huge difference – being able to put the heating, staying warm and healthy and happy, it’s simply fantastic.”
Another user of the Witham hub, Carolyn Hobbs, says that it helps like his pension “only stretches so far”.
The 66 -year -old said that people should not worry about stigma surrounding the use of community supermarkets.
“No one knows you have trouble, you just will take a look,” Ms. Hobbs told the BBC.
“I think that’s what is in the head of people who prevent them from using these places.”
John Fairhall / BBC
Tina Townsend is the founder of the Hubs Witham and Braintree
“A crisis in the United Kingdom”
Stuart Woodward / BBC
The Braintree community supermarket contains grocery products and cleaning items that members can buy at a reduced price
Townsend said it was “unhappy” that community hubs and food banks are still necessary.
“I just want the government to consider it a crisis in the United Kingdom and start to see how they can really help these people,” she told the BBC.
In addition to the Hubs of Braintrere and Witham, there are 12 others in Essex and two others on the way, which are supported by the council of the county of Essex.
“In the end, it struck the cocovated pandemic, which experienced a huge adoption in food banks,” said Ben Mann, the example of the Council for his affordable food program.
“What we wanted to do is give people an alternative to this crisis support, where they maintain their dignity, their control and their choice on how they spend their money, but spend a little less money each time.
CLLR Mary Cunningham, member of the cabinet for stronger communities of the Braintree District Council, said: “At the moment, we have very good local organizations and projects which help support our communities by the cost of life crisis, but we welcome the addition of this hub which will complete our projects and will bring to the residents of Braintree.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Labor and Pensions said that “nobody should live in poverty, and we know that the best route out of poverty for families in difficulty is well paid, secure work”.
“This is why we reform our broken social protection system, which helps people make good jobs, increase the standard of living and put money in the pockets of people.
“In addition to this, we have increased the decent salary, extended the household support fund and support 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a fair reimbursement rate on universal credit deductions to help low-income households,” added the spokesman.
