Kieran met with Marketplace Project Co-ordinator, Maureen Chaseley, Revd Guy Partridge who is the manager of Bexhill CAP (Christians Against Poverty) debt advice service and Freedom Church Pastor, Sally Sago.
The Marketplace was started in 2021 by volunteers from The Freedom Church in Sidley towards the end of the Covid pandemic to respond to concerns about local food poverty and to reduce the environmental impact of food waste. It meets at 10.00am every Tuesday and is open to any local resident. For £3.00, residents can enjoy the community café and, if they would like, have a visit to the community larder. The larder stocks a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables along with store cupboard items, some of which would otherwise go to waste. The Marketplace has between 50-60 people attend each week.
The Marketplace café has become incredibly popular with local residents. It has helped alleviate loneliness in the community for all generations - from parents with young children to senior citizens. It is a welcoming place to meet, chat and make friends.
For those experiencing food poverty, sometimes as a result of debt, the CAP team are on hand to help with face-to-face budget and debt management advice. CAP can also take proactive steps with debtors to solve worrying financial problems. In addition, to CAP, the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), Warm Homes advisers, Bexhill Foodbank and local Healthwatch are regular visitors to the Marketplace providing information and support to local residents.
Kieran commented: “I really enjoyed my visit to the Marketplace at Freedom Church. It is a great example of a voluntary community initiative which has achieved far more than its original goals of reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food poverty. It has become central to the community in Sidley and serves a really important role in supporting residents by also helping to alleviate loneliness, provide a place to meet and connect with other services for advice and support. I was pleased to speak to one local resident who told me how her life has changed for the better since coming along to the Marketplace and receiving debt advice support from CAP. I am really grateful to the team of over 20 volunteers who help to make this such a vibrant and supportive community initiative.
For more information about The Marketplace visit www.freedomchurchbexhill.com/the-marketplace/ or telephone 01424 223217. To contact CAP visit capuk.org/get-help/cap-debt-help/before-your-first-appointment