22nd August 2025

Dear all, the plans to provide food outreach from the new Parish Hall are progressing well and we have had some excellent help and support from fellow teams at Storehouse and St Mary's in Melton, St Edwards in Kettering and the Diocese team.  We will need to confirm plans with Fr John once he joins us and are hopeful we can launch in a small way initially in the New Year.  We have 18 people who have expressed  willingness to volunteer split equally between those wishing to be the welcomer, chef, server or listening ear and those who are able to support in the background with coordination, supply chain and comms.  If you are interested in getting involved do let us know.

We recognise that there are many who are working so will not be free on a Thursday to provide front of house support so there is another way you might be able to help.  We will need supplies of food.  We have the offer of some start up funding and advice from Storehouse on where we can source some foods so there are options.  We also have another idea to share to test if it would be of interest.  Would you be willing and able to be a "Secret shopper".  The task would be that you joined a rota to provide to St John's an item of food per month with value £5 or less.  What we would need would depend on the menu for that week.  So it might be a packet of sausages or bacon or a bag of potatoes or pasta or cans of tomatoes or 500g of mince etc.  If we had 40 families willing to join this scheme we would only need to ask once a month.  If this is something you think you could volunteer to do once we open then let us know stating you wish to be a "secret shopper".  We will get back to you closer to the start up to outline the details.

Thanks