I am a member of New Life Church in Saffron Walden, North Essex and post-Covid times we started a Make Lunch group and the Pop-Up Shop to support those people and families coping with being isolated and/or struggling financially.

Three years ago, I offered my help because the previous leader of the group was stopping. She trained me and I now run the shop weekly for one hour with my husband. I wanted to help because I am retired and want to do Christian work.

The cost-of-living crisis was underway, and I realised that this was a reality on my doorstep. There was and is food poverty in our town …. ironically, it is The BBC and Sunday Times best town to live in. It is a beautiful town but there is poverty like elsewhere.

Personally, running this Pop-Up Shop is now an essential part of my life now because by doing a simple act of kindness we can ease a bit of stress and worry.

The shop opens on a different day each week and at a different time. This is to cope with some people’s work pattern. Each person enters in order and chooses their 20 items of free food, and they are always happy. We try to bring dignity to the procedure.

We have refugees from various nationalities. We have disabled folk, and one lady is housebound. There are mental and physical disabilities.

Our food is in tins and packets, but we also have fresh eggs, jacket potatoes to cook, pasta and sauces, part-cooked bread, wraps, juice, cereal,  tinned soup, vegetables, meat and fruit. We have freezer food too, and toiletries.

It works well and people are grateful to feel helped and happy with the provision.

I love the work.

Bags of Hope runs twice a year now, but three times when the funds are there. This is when our 48 families (now) receive £40 of free food which they choose themselves from a list. Our 48 families are single mums, single dads, single people as well as families.

This is an amazing and difficult to run charity push. My husband and I prefer to run The Shop and leave the really demanding stuff to a younger couple at church!