Stoke JarSquad

JarSquad’s goal: grow a solidarity economy whilst making communal preserves (and more!) as a squad. In collectively cooking up our shared abundance (of surplus, grown, or foraged food), we spark a rethinking on what we might value/waste/share.

Our idea: develop an offer of creative consultation, community coaching and organizing to get local groups to start their own JarSquad. Working with The Village Hub and their community pantry, we’ve identified a budding food-passionate group in Stoke we’d like to collaborate with, via a series of food-making and food-preservation sessions that centre our ethos of joy, connection, co-learning, sustainability and resilience.

Motherland seed

Individuals from the disperse background have been meeting and sharing the experience of growing edible plants and herbs of their origins either in grow bags or on a pallet. the purpose being to build rapport with the new soil and community their are established in as well as sharing their motherland with their homeland. The need of a a space representing motherland is crucial into healing and belonging. healthy conversation and shared experience are on high demands.
we are seeking the fund to develop the scheme and engage with more community members from diverse background.

Marine Edibles

We aim to enable shore communities focusing on those living in social housing and in an area of multiple deprivation to consume more of the free, healthy and sustainable food in our sea and on our shoreline. Teaching people living close to the sea, skills to catch and cook fish, forage at the shoreline and grow food at home. Marine Edibles hopes to deliver a fresh, creative and collaborative approach to eating fish, seafood and our coastline bounty. Funding will go towards rods and teaching people to fish and forage plus a cookery workshop programme.

Home Economics – Core Skills for home, life and work!

6 core activities – open to everyone, participants can join weekly workshops to address any of the challenges they face during the cost of living crisis.
Budgeting
Cooking,
DIY
Sewing
Parental Support (Messy Munchkins sessions)
Employment & Careers Advice
Driven by participant input, we will have an adaptable delivery. We have our own premises but also use community facilities to ensure accessibility across Plymouth.
Delivering for over 10 years, with a proven track record. We have a strong membership and following. Workshops have recently finished through cessation of funding. We have a list of EOI’s which shows the ongoing need.

Community drop in @Turnchapel

The aim of this project is for people to come together in a central warm space, chat and develop a sense of belonging within the community. This idea, raised at the last Residents’ Association, was that we need a space for isolated locals and others in the neighbourhood, to engage in activities such as board games, craft etc. Our diverse community includes older and single residents as well as young families and refugees who might be struggling financially. We’d like to welcome anybody with warm drinks, hot food such as coffee, tea, soup, rolls.

The Kit Bag Project – Is five a day all we need?

Funds acquired will be used to implement our new innovative program which is underpinned by nourishing and educating children and families about the importance of ‘not just’ consuming the five recommended fruit and vegetables a day, and will be delivered through primarily non- referral foodbanks to target the cost of living crisis & holiday hunger including the stigma.
Moreover, the program consists of the promotion of the other five core messages and ‘promoting immunity in the community’ (see below)
1. Hand washing
2. Mental health
3. Nutrition
4. Exercise
5. Climate change (the 5 Rs)

Feast of Fun

TPT seeks funding for this year’s Feast of Fun programme. Benefitting children are known to churches and identified at risk of hunger without this provision. TPT has a 5-year proven record of church collaboration to provide this programme, which typically offers free, safe and local activities incl. meals for all children attending.

Churches provide venues, volunteers, activities and support so the meals are the only cost. TPT have secured part funding to provide approx. 8000 meals for children in 2023 and have a shortfall of £1.25 per child to provide hot nutritious meals via Plymouth’s Feast of Fun provision.

The Village Hub Club

Our need is working with people not for them and to ensure support is proportionate.

We have found the following useful:
Having an Emergency Fund where visitors can access provisions at a local shop
Providing Advice and Support
Sharing information at awareness events – a one stop shop
Paid advertising to reach as many people as possible.
Work with existing partnerships e.g. JarSquad learning to turn surplus food into meals
Upskilling the community by providing training on food hygiene so visitors can make nutritious meals for the community using items from our food larder.

What’s next Stoke?

English4Equity

Not having enough English language to seek to access entitlements and seek their rights with dignity places asylum seekers & refugees at the lower end of any crisis. Access to Centres and offices with duties to address gaps they face and where barriers must be tackled is restricted and subject to strict control that set precedence for isolation and loneliness. Our idea is to provide a centre accessible 7 days for and run by themselves where they can invite locals’ native speakers to support their practical English. They say, give us the language and let us seek equity.

A Warm Welcome

Finding would enable us to offer a ‘Warm Welcome’ to a new group of adult members who have both mental and physical health issues.
They come to the club an average of 2 sessions per week, to chat, be with others in the same situation and to take part in some physical activity to help releave stress and isolation.
To be able to offer FREE hot drinks and some limited hot food would greatly enhance the sessions for this marginalized group, who are mainly but not exclusively older males.
Working with the group since September has identified the need