Filstorage helps Pocklington charity find permanent home

Leading racking company Filstorage has helped an East Yorkshire charity to feed more people in need this winter.

The business, based at Eastrington, donated shop shelving to The People’s Pantry, a charity that helps people struggling with food poverty in Pocklington and Market Weighton, as well as fitting out their new shop for free.

The charity had to move to Pocklington Rugby Club after the COVID pandemic meant it could no longer use its former venue of Scaife Garth Community Centre in the town.

Realising the People’s Pantry was without a permanent home, the decision was then taken to convert an upstairs room at the rugby club into a shop for the charity to use on a permanent basis.

It is here several businesses, including Filstorage, got involved.

Paul Taylor, managing director of Filstorage and a Vice President at Pocklington Rugby Club, offered to help with the fit out, including donating much needed shop shelving.

He also roped in supplier Storplan to provide an external aluminium staircase for the shop, so those using the charity didn’t have to walk through the clubhouse.

Mr Taylor said: “The People’s Pantry do a wonderful job ensuring local people experiencing financial hardship get access to good quality food to feed their families. It’s an invaluable service, especially at this time when COVID has had such an impact on so many people.

“We provided some of the shop shelving for free and the remainder at cost price and fitted it for free. It’s been a great project to be part of, ensuring this vital community facility has a permanent home.”

Heather Davidson, chair of The People’s Pantry, said she was delighted with the new home.

Heather said: “At our previous venue, the only storage we had was a shed, so every time we set the shop up we had to unload all the produce and then pack it all away again after we closed. It added hours on to the day.

“Here is absolutely fantastic. The room has been converted into a shop, so we don’t have to keep packing everything away and there is extra storage, which makes a huge difference to the volunteers.

“We’re so happy with it and very thankful to everyone who has been involved.”

The project was coordinated by local charity Pocklington Rugby Club in the Community.

Other businesses and organisations that supported the charity include Persimmon Homes which renovated and painted the room, and the East Yorkshire branch of the NFU, which donated money to complete the project.

Paul Taylor (fifth from the left) at the launch of the People’s Pantry’s new home at Pocklington Rugby Club.