The Somerset Food Resilience Taskforce has now helped to distribute more than one million items of food since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Food Resilience Taskforce is funded by Somerset County Council and supplied by a wide range of generous organisations including Fareshare, HiS Church, local supermarkets, Branston Potatoes, Charlie Bigham’s, and many more.

It has meant the Community Council for Somerset’s Village Agents have been able to create veg boxes, carers respite meal packs, and Christmas meal packs for a huge number of people.

The CCS Village Agents are the beating heart behind the Food Resilience Taskforce and have a warehouse where they manage food deliveries, gather donated food items, and co-ordinate community groups to collect and distribute food and other essential items to people across Somerset.

Each week around 15 to 20 different community groups from across Somerset meet at the warehouse to collect the food for distribution. Between them they will collect and deliver between 10,000 and 30,000 food items each week, along with 100 to 600 frozen meals.

A spokesperson for the CCS Village Agents said: “It is a phenomenal effort, and we would like to express our deepest thanks to the amazing people who run food groups voluntarily to make sure people in their communities are looked after.

“We would also like to thank Somerset County Council, Public Health, and FareShare for enabling the movement. Thank you to all involved in making this happen.”

If you are interested in volunteering with the CCS Village Agents, or you are someone who needs help with food, you can call 01823 331222 or visit: https://somersetagents.org/help-with-food/

Anyone in Somerset who needs support with access to food or medicines, or emotional and financial support, can call the Somerset Coronavirus Helpline on 0300 790 6275, seven days a week, 8am to 6pm, or visit the CCS Village Agents website https://somersetagents.org.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information contact CCS Communications Officer Hannah Burbedge Hannah@Somersetrcc.org.uk

CCS (The Community Council for Somerset) is a leading local charity that works in the heart of Somerset’s communities to inspire and enable positive change. Through its wide network of passionate local experts and diverse projects, consultancy and funding, CCS brings the right people and services together to improve the lives of individuals; building community capacity and support for emerging and existing enterprises right across the county – helping Somerset to thrive.

For more information visit https://ccslovesomerset.org

CCS Village and Community Agents are in your communities across Somerset.  They help to bridge the gap between isolated, excluded, vulnerable and lonely individuals and statutory and/or voluntary organisations which offer specific solutions to identified needs.