Children, families, local residents and businesses across Barnsley and Goldthorpe have once again gathered together this August to enjoy the much-awaited “Big Feast” summer event, hosted by the award-winning social supermarket, Community Shop.

The free event aims to celebrate good food and community togetherness, with over 200 members of the local community attending to embrace the homemade, free food, and entertaining activities on offer with stalls, face painting, bouncy castles and ice creams available for guests.

The event, which was this year held at the Goldthorpe Parish Hall, also provided the opportunity for friends, families and neighbours to join together again in the heart of the community, after a challenging period during the pandemic.

A number of stalls and local businesses attended the event, including Essential Recruitment who were available to speak to any guests about current vacancies they were recruiting for, as part of Community Shop’s longstanding commitment to help members move into training, work or education.

The Big Feast event is just one of the many ways Community Shop Goldthorpe, and the wider Community Shop network, has supported children, families and residents during the pandemic. Its wider work includes continuing to provide high-quality, low-cost surplus food and essential products to members at 50% off the normal retail price, as well as delivering virtual personal development support and wrap-around services including food parcels and food bag collections for those most in need.

The event also forms part of Community Shop’s renowned Healthy Holidays programme, which delivers a holistic programme of activities focused around food, exercise and wellbeing, aimed largely at school aged children and families. The programme helps to deliver support and engagement during the school holidays, which can be a difficult time for families, but the Community Shop store provides free, hot meals to children throughout the year.
 

Commenting on the event, Dan Wake, Regional Social Impact Manager, said:

“It was brilliant to have everyone together in one place where people could enjoy good food, be entertained by the activities on offer, and to see everyone face to face. We have a packed-out Healthy Holidays activity calendar this year, and we are really looking forward to continuing to connect and engage with our members and wider community.”

The store continues to be open to any local residents who receive means tested benefits and are motivated to make a positive difference to their lives. Eligible members are encouraged to sign up online or pop into the store for support.

Individuals and families receiving means tested benefits, including Free School Meals (FSM) are also eligible for membership at Company Shop Wentworth, the redistribution superstore in Tankersley, Barnsley, and can sign up via the same website.