Already playing a significant role in Wroughton, the volunteers of the Wroughton Pantry have merged their operation with the Swindon Food Collective to improve the support they offer to local people.

Over the last 12 months, the Wroughton Pantry has given out 120 bags of food to families but the demand and regularity of requests for help has seen a need for a more sustainable operation. At least four of the Wroughton Pantry team will now volunteer at the new Swindon Food Collective distribution centre.

Builder Wichelstowe LLP has supported the Wroughton Pantry for more than two years and was happy to help again when the food bank needed new cupboards to store the larger amount of stock at the new base.

Hearing their call for help, a team of carpenters from Corinium Carpentry, who works at the Wichelstowe development, along with members of the Wichelstowe development team, volunteered their time and expertise to design and build a custom store cupboard tailored to pantry requirements, with materials provided by the Wichelstowe development.

Clare Jones, the new team leader for the Wroughton distribution centre, said: “Our new cupboards are practical and feature plenty of shelving and storage space that will enhance our capacity to help those who rely on our support, and they have been built sensitively to fit in with the church environment nicely.”