WHO WE ARE

Castleman Community Larder is located at 136 Station Road, West Moors, BH22 0JB. We are a not-for-profit community interest company, founded by Michelle Bennett, a local West Moors resident. We set up to tackle food poverty in the local community. We operate membership based, social supermarket to support low-income families and struggling households across East Dorset and surrounding areas, to gain easy access to good quality and healthy food.

 

From an environmental point, if 50 members are receiving approximately 3.5kg of food per week that would otherwise be deemed as surplus, this would mean 9.1 tonnes of good quality food will be diverted to struggling households and saved from landfill.

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The office of national statistics has published a map based on the data from the 2021 census. This has revealed the most deprived areas in Dorset. Deprivation is categorised into 4 areas, Education, Employment, Health and Housing. In West Moors 56.4% of households are facing deprivation in one or more of those categories.

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The surrounding areas include Ferndown Town where 57.1% of households face deprivation in one or more categories, and West Verwood where 48.4% of households are affected.

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Food insecurity and food poverty is an ongoing issue and we want to make a difference. 

WE CURRENTLY SUPPORT 969 HOUSEHOLDS

(correct of 24/04/24)

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Key Features

 

• Open a minimum of 5 days per week for a minimum of 6 hours per day to maximise user access.

• Visiting Castleman Community Larder will feel like shopping and not a ‘hand out’.

• Will be primarily led by a team of local volunteers, which redirects employment costs to usable funds to continue community support.

• We work towards generating 100% of our income through membership fees, grants, donations and fundraising.

• Aiming for 80% expenditure on food/stock.

• Members pay £7 per weekly visit and will be able to choose between 10-15 items with a retail value between £25 and £50.

 

Benefits & Outcomes

 

• Provide food security to those who need it most.

•  Place the community at the heart of decision-making about food provision and choices.

•  Reduce food waste, divert edible food form landfill/cut carbon emissions.

•  Increase skills, training and employment prospects.

•  Improve health outcomes, particularly around the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and through social eating.

•  Improve emotional wellbeing and social inclusion by acting as a community hub.

•  Partnership working with local providers increasing awareness.

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Community Interest Company Registration Number 14862499