It has now been two months since the launch of The Community Grocery in Wythenshawe.
And as we head into the festive season at full speed, after what has been an undoubtedly turbulent year due to ongoing restrictions amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the services provided by this charity-led initiative could not be more vital.
At a time when the stigma around the use of food banks seems to be almost as high as the rates of unemployment and the level of economic struggle, The Community Grocery is here to help.
Its mission is simple, but profound.
The Community Grocery exists to bridge the gap between supermarkets and food banks to allow people left in a vulnerable position as a result of the pandemic to have independence and dignity.
And it’s really taken off.
The shop – which is part of The Message Trust’s site in Sharston – has been overwhelmed by the response since opening, and during the first couple of months alone has had over 750 families sign up to use the grocery system each week.
Of these members, over 100 register for debt relief courses and over 200 request mental health support.
If all of that wasn’t amazing enough as it is, The Community Grocery’s impact has also extended to protecting the environment, by managing to save a whopping 84 tonnes of surplus food that would have otherwise gone to landfill.
But just how did this groundbreaking initiative start though?
Well, it turns out The Community Grocery is just one cog in the wheel of the lifesaving work that The Message Trust has been carrying out this past year.
With the pandemic sadly pushing families closer to the poverty line than ever before, what began as a move by The Message Trust to re-purpose its community kitchens to feed the most vulnerable members of the community while the hospitality industry was temporarily closed back in April, saw The Mess Cafe – the community cafe which gives training and employment to ex-offenders, or those at risk of offending – become a hub for preparing and providing healthy meals to children missing out on their free school lunches, with a total of 60,000 meals sent out to those who need them most.
The support didn’t stop there either.
After realising that the need for such services was only increasing, a more sustainable and long-term option was brought about, and so, The Community Grocery was born.
The Community Grocery is passionate about individuals maintaining agency and continuing to support the local community beyond their primary needs.
A shopper who signs up for a membership not only has access to The Community Grocery, but can also make the most of a range of wider support services, including debt relief, mental health services, job clubs, and cooking and life skills classes, as well as exploring a selection of Christianity courses provided by The Message Trust.
And now, with a growing community of families signed up and a capacity of 1000 members, The Community Grocery is reaching out and encouraging those who live locally and may have recently lost their job, are entitled to the free school meals programme, or are simply just struggling, to access the support.
You can pop by the store anytime during opening hours – 9:30am – 4:30pm – and the team will walk you through your first £3 shop.
Looking ahead to the future, The Community Grocery has now managed to successfully secure funding to expand its offering across the North West region and is committed to launching another four groceries around Greater Manchester over the next four months.
The Community Grocery team is “so pleased” to be able to further serve local people in partnership with churches in the community to provide more available space.
And this also means there will be the opportunity for members to access the benefits of The Community Grocery across multiple locations over the next few months, so keep your eyes peeled and be sure to stay up to date on both Facebook and Instagram.
You can also find more information via The Community Grocery website here.
The Community Grocery, Message Enterprise Centre, Harper Road, Sharston, Manchester, M22 4RG.
Business
A long-standing Italian restaurant in Trafford has sadly announced its imminent closure
Danny Jones
Another day, another bit of unfortunate hospitality news, as long-standing Greater Manchester restaurant, Little Italy in Timperley, has announced it is closing permanently very soon.
The Trafford favourite, which has been serving locals for nearly 20 years, has informed regular diners that it will sadly be closing its doors for good, with Little Italy’s final service set for later this month.
Having earned plenty of praise in its time, including being one of the few spots in and around the Altrincham area to have won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2015, before the borough saw its foodie boom begin.
But fast forward a decade, and the Timperley institution is yet another culinary casualty to be confirmed of late, with Little Italy sharing a tear-jerking statement online.
Sharing the tragic news on social media this Friday (5 Sep), the restaurant wrote: “To all our lovely customers, it is with a heavy heart that we share some news with you all. After over 18 years of serving you all in Timperley, we will be closing our doors later this month.
“This has not been an easy decision. Unfortunately, rising costs and a significant increase in rental [costs] have made it impossible to continue in a sustainable way. As much as we love what we do, the reality is that it has become too difficult to maintain under these circumstances.
“Over the coming weeks, we will continue to cook with love and serve with the same passion as always. We would love to see you all and share one more meal, and raise a glass together.”
Safe to say that the post has been met with an outpouring of condolences and support from natives nearby and those who have travelled to enjoy their food.
Little Italy went on to add that they will detail more about their final week of business as soon as possible.
They can’t be accused of not keeping up with times and not trying to promote via social media either, as they small family-run team – headed up by Sam Cauchi, who bought the site back in 2008 – have always given things a go besides the day-to-day operation of the restaurant.
Being one of many saddened customers to respond underneath the announcement, we couldn’t possibly sum up things better than local Vanessa Nice, who said: “Look at all these amazing comments – you certainly made your mark as a home from home for the residents of Timperley.
“The end of an era will always be sad, but sometimes life and families have to move on.”
As for Cauchi and co., they signed off by simply adding: “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support, kindness and friendship over the years. Timperley has been our home, and you have all been our family.
“Love from all the team at Little Italy.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted for the gang and our thoughts are with everyone involved at this difficult time. For now, we can only say thank you to the countless Greater Manchester locations that continue to fall foul in the face of the rising pressures industry-wide. Case and point…
The bizarre explanation behind Manchester’s new mini ‘green space’ – that’s completely closed off
Danny Jones
One thing you always hear people who live in central Manchester calling out for is green space, but when a new patch of grass does arrive, you don’t exactly expect it to be completely inaccessible.
Just a quick FYI to those of you passionate about supporting what little nature there is left in our city centre: brace yourselves, as this one is rather annoying…
For anyone who’s walked down Whitworth Street West past the once lively Locks, or even got off at Deansgate–Castlefield tram stop and come down the glass stairs closest to the Albion Bridge, you may have noticed a rogue patch of grass surrounded by black fencing next to the City Road Inn pub.
It could be considered a nice little lawn were it not completely fenced off, but the question is, why has it popped up there? Well, local lad Curtis Rothwell has recently debunked the whole frustrating mess for us in a helpful video.
Yes, as explained by the Pre-Construction Manager who works for local utilities contractor Zenit Infrastructure Solutions Limited, the somewhat laughable but disheartening gated green space on Whitworth Street is essentially a feeble attempt at adhering to permission laws.
As detailed by Rothwell, the plot bought for a sizeable sum last year (only the original developers didn’t have the funding to actually pull off their initial plans) is now set to become student accommodation.
Currently, real estate firm Tri7 – which has now been fully folded into the parent group known as Fusion, as previous part-owners already – still has a hold on the land for now.
However, after being ordered by Manchester City Council to tidy up the area in the meantime, as they await planning permission to be fully approved, they decided to lay these new rolls of turf there.
Ok, so while the notion of the Council ordering a property company to make urban spaces look pretty and the idea of introducing more grassy zones into the city sound good on paper, as you can see, the real-life result doesn’t quite match up.
Not only does this feel like a bare minimum effort to appease the local authorities ahead of erecting yet another skyscraper, but more importantly, it feels like sheer nonchalant neglect and/or plain dismissal of those Manc residents crying out for more grass, nature and a break from the concrete jungle.
The fact that the rare green space is totally blocked by tall, almost authoritarian-feeling fences and sealed off by a big, black gate comes across like a casual two fingers to both the Council and those living in the city centre.
Speaking to The Manc, Curt commented: “It’s positive the council can take charge of how our empty spaces look after demolitions. In this case, maybe the demolition was carried out too early, which happens, but when it does, greenery is the best look they can give to local people.”
You can see the latest update on the planning permission HERE, and for now, if you’re looking for green spaces in Manchester, you’ll find them more frequently beyond the outskirts and heading into the boroughs; this one is strictly off limits. Find a whole bunch of ones that aren’t down below:
Emily Sergeant -
27th November 2020 
