“Imagine… … going to the supermarket with a toddler in a buggy, and no car, and trying to buy your weekly shop…You wait for a bus, but there is no space for the buggy on board. Two or three buses pass. You pay over £3 which is a significant portion of your weekly money…
You struggle around the supermarket with your buggy and trolley – conscious of the fact that whatever you buy has to fit in your budget and you have to carry it all home. You add up everything you buy, to ensure you won’t be embarrassed at the till – it has to be perfectly calculated. You pack your shopping - there is only a small space underneath the buggy – buy a chicken and some washing powder and that space is gone. The rest has to be balanced precariously on the handlebars.
You eventually get home – exhausted and you still only have half the stuff you need. The rest will have to wait for another day…”
Bulkbuying in Parkwood, Maidstone • SILK is working alongside residents and local and national agencies to support the set-up of a community bulk-buying scheme for Parkwood residents • Residents and agency workers have been involved in community research – washing powder, nappies and meat are the preferred products • A team of 5 residents who are not working are now leading the project and developing a business plan with support from the core team • The project is providing opportunities to learn new skills, encouraging employability and may lead to paid work in the future
www.kent.gov.uk/SILK