The team at Purdy, part of the Kinovo Group, supported Peabody to set up a foodbank at Darwin Court in Walworth, London, and volunteers from the business continue to support it on a regular basis.
The foodbank, which opened its doors in August this year, is a free service for all Peabody residents and has a variety of every day household items available for free. Residents can just drop in and choose from fresh fruit and vegetables, store cupboard staples, toiletries and more. The food available does change each week, but thanks to our regular donations, there’s always lots to choose from. With over 40 registered residents receiving weekly food parcels from the Darwin Court Food Hub, it’s already impacting the local community.
Pippa Pang, Kinovo Social Value and Marketing Manager commented: “One of our core social values is to actively seek to give help to those in need in our local community, and after reviewing the recent stats from The Trussell Trust, which say over 760,000 people used a foodbank between April 2022 and March 2023, this initiative just felt right, and is an endorsement of how we really do live and breathe our values. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Vince Amorelli, Contract Manager at Purdy, for going above and beyond to make this happen.”
It stops me from being hungry
Centres and Services Manager, Julia added: “Initially, we started with a food distribution service for elderly and vulnerable residents in the area during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The service has really grown and now has a dedicated hub area with refrigeration for perishable items and shop floor shelving to help residents choose what they need. We have many regular visitors who come once a week to pick up additional food items. As one resident commented: ‘It helps me a lot. It tops up my weekly shop and stops me from being hungry’.”
Kinovo has pledged a number of volunteer days at the foodbank which has seen both its CEO David Bullen and COO Lee Venables help out on the ground.
David was proud to see the impact the foodbank was having: “I thoroughly enjoyed helping at this busy foodbank recently; the residents coming to this facility were across all demographics, from young single parents to the elderly and disabled. During my casual chats with them, it was clear all appreciated and needed access to this facility, especially with the winter months looming and the genuine worry of how to pay their fuel bills on top of feeding themselves/their families.
“The Pantry itself was like a “mini-mart”, extremely well organised and run and it’s clear regular food donations are critical to ensure it can keep running for the benefit of those who need it most. The community spirit was so evident from the people running the foodbank to the customers using it.”
Lee Venables, Chief Operating Officer of Kinovo concluded: “I was really happy to help out at Peabody’s Darwin Court foodbank recently. As well as making a difference where needed most, I’m also proud that we were invited to join a Japanese delegation from their government’s research department to explain about Social Value and how we helped Peabody to set up the foodbank.
“The foodbank has clearly become an essential part of the local community and I’m really proud of Vince and the rest of the Purdy volunteers who were essential to getting the service up and running and continue to provide their ongoing support.”
