St. Modwen awarded £5000 each to two local charities since the beginning of the pandemic: The Wantage Mix and Sweatbox Wantage.
Since March at the Wantage Mix, 4,020 bags delivered, 1,292 bags collected from The Mix, and 17.5 tonnes of surplus food given away. Anyone can pop along and collect a bag of food on Mondays 4-7pm, Wednesdays 10.30am-1pm and Fridays 10.30am-1pm.
Jo, who runs the Wantage Mix, said: “We’re seeing an increasing amount of people in greater need unfortunately, and are trying to make sure our food collections spread as far as possible,” and the donation has helped them do so.
The Mix has also restarted pre-school deliveries and providing food for a Sweatbox run breakfast club for young carers. The Mix is also collaborating with Ray Collins Trust and Wantage and Grove food bank to provide Christmas hampers to people in need, as well as working with Ray Collins Trust and Maymessy to organise cookery skills workshops.
They’ve also started a Repair Shop, collecting old laptops and tablets and fixing them up to give to local people who need devices to keep connected and have revamped 69 laptops so far! If anyone has an old device to donate they’d be delighted to have it. The Repair Cafe volunteers wipe them of all data, repair them where needed and PAT test them before they’re given away.
Visit www.thewantagemix.wordpress.com to find out more about their great work.
Georgina from Sweatbox said: “The funding provided by St. Modwen has helped us to both extend normal services during the Covid pandemic and create new resources.”
St. Modwen’s funding covered the running costs and equipment for online sessions, as well as weekly outreach sessions at Grove Skate Park throughout the school summer holidays, which all felt was essential given that young people had been in lock down for so long. These sessions gave members the chance to meet safely with friends, access services, talk to the team and gave workers the opportunity to identify any needs or safeguarding concerns for those who may not have engaged in the online sessions.
Sweatbox is also providing support to King Alfred’s Academy, with whom they’ve created a “Wall of Wellbeing” for everyone to use as a bank of resources, support and information around positive mental and physical wellbeing.
Find them @TheSweatBox