On Thursday 16th May 2024 St Giles East of England were delighted to be presented with The Skills Accelerator Award by Delia Smith at the inaugural Nourishing Norfolk Awards.
The Norfolk Community Foundation’s Nourishing Norfolk Programme, aims to ensure no one in Norfolk goes hungry, and part funds St Giles’ Magadalen Street Pantry based in Norwich.
A unique model, The Pantry offers more than just nutritious, affordable food. On-site staff and volunteers provide expert advice and support; many of whom have experienced the same issues facing the people they support today. For a weekly subscription of £3.50, people using the Pantry can choose from a range of fresh, wholesome produce as they would in any other shop whilst receiving support to address the underlying factors trapping them in poverty.
This holistic approach stops their clients from falling through the gaps in services and helps to build foundations to support the whole person and create lasting impact.
The Skills Accelerator Award, sponsored by Chadwicks Ltd, highlights and celebrates the comprehensive support model of The Pantry. Members receive help to build personal skills like resilience, self-efficacy, and confidence through:
- 1:1 support addressing individual needs and life skills, including budgeting and nutrition.
- Referrals to other St Giles services like the Peer Hub (offering training, volunteering support, and qualifications) and Re-routing Futures (providing employability skills, 1:1 support, and group workshops).
- Collaboration with services offering drop-in support at the Pantry, such as Shelter.
- Referrals to local services like Norfolk Adult Learning and the Norfolk Exercise Referral Scheme.
Alongside the members of The Pantry, volunteers many of whom are former clients of the Pantry service, are given the same training and opportunities to build skills as staff, these include:
- Safeguarding
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Trauma informed practice
- Mental health first aid
- Informal learning opportunities such as:
- Word/Excel
- Using Outlook and Microsoft Teams
“We are thrilled to have received such prestigious recognition for the Norwich Pantry. Ever since its start, it has made a real difference to the lives of people in the local community and brought people together in a way we could have only hoped for when we first set it up. This award means a great deal to the team and is a testament to their dedication and commitment.”
– Clare Elliott – Head of Service, St Giles East of England
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