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May 2021 May 2021

Bere Regis Food Bank By 19 March 2020, our school had placed their “Give What You Can, Take What
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You Need” food box outside the school for all to contribute to and take from. This
Thank you so much for all the food donations we really appreciate them, there is remained available throughout most of the pandemic.
a box outside the village Hall . Moving Forward we will continue to run the Food
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Bank when the Village Hall reopens , our thanks to the Parish Council for the By 30 March 2020 a crowd funding appeal had been launched, that would
generous grant to make this possible. It will operate on a part food part voucher eventually raise over £8000 for the Emergency Fund.
basis this will be from June 25
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At the beginning of April 2020 Pop In Place took over food bank provision from
If you need help and are struggling in this crisis email popinplace@gmail.com Wareham and created its own bank in the Village Hall.
Please make sure that all users registration forms are back to 3 Rye Hill Close Also, at the beginning of April, the BereConnect volunteer scheme was launched
to deliver prescriptions, collect shopping and connect isolated people by phone.
Alison Bennett popinplace@gmail.com 01929 472023
The Pop In Place food bank began by supporting about 12 families, rising to
about 22 deliveries at the peak. It is still supporting 16 families, equating to about
45 people being helped. The food bank was kick-started with grants from the
Emergency Fund, and was able to continue because of the incredible generosity
of residents’ donations throughout the crisis. Generous grants were also made by
Dorset Council.

The work of the food bank has not all been about food parcels. Personal contact
between the five volunteers involved and the clients has helped avert numerous

When you respond to advertisers, do please tell them you saw serious domestic issues, mental health crises and even suicides, by providing links
and introductions to specialist professional and volunteer help.
their advert in this magazine - it helps them monitor the The work of the food bank will continue to be needed. Recently the Parish

effectiveness of their advert and helps us generate more Council made a grant to Pop In Place to install cupboards in the Village Hall to
enable the hall to re-open, and remain the base for the food bank.
advertising revenue!!
The Emergency Fund was created almost entirely from very generous donations
by a number of Bere Regis residents, supplemented by the profit from the sales of
the 2021 village calendar. In total it raised £8300. The first grant or loan was made
on 3 April 2020, and to date 27 payments totalling more than £3000 have been
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made to individuals or families. In addition, the food bank received just under
£900 in the early days and £2820 has been given the Bere Regis School to
supplement free school meals during holidays. The balance will continue to be
granted or will be given to
local charities, when needs
subside.
BereConnect volunteers
originally numbered over fifty
people. As the need for
voluntary help became
clearer this settled down to a
core group of about 20
people who provided an
invaluable service in delivering

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