‘Scary’ demand for Braintree community supermarket

A new community supermarket has opened in a town, due to a similar facility nearby struggling to meet demand.

The Braintree Hub in Essex contains groceries and everyday items which can be bought by its members at a discounted price.

Its sister hub in Witham has seen an increase in people travelling from Braintree to use its services due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Founder of the hubs, Tina Townsend, said the local demand for help was “quite scary”.

Members pay an annual fee of £5 which enables them to use the community supermarket. The hub premises will also contain computer facilities and there are plans for a cafe in the future.

“I’ve had over a thousand messages already about when are we opening, what times, what days,” Ms Townsend told the BBC.

“We’ll give it a go, we’ll do our best and if we run out of stock on day one, we’ll just have to restock on day two”.

Laura Fowle, 45, has used the Witham Hub for the last few months to purchase discounted food. A bookkeeper in London for 19 years, she knows how to handle her money, but her working days were cut from four to three.

“I was quite OK before then but now I’m really feeling the pinch – certain months there’s less money than I’d hope for,” she said.

“[The hub] has made a massive difference – being able to put the heating on, staying warm and healthy and happy, it’s just fantastic.”

Another user of the Witham Hub, Carolyn Hobbs, says it helps as her pension “only stretches so far”.

The 66-year-old said people should not worry about any stigma surrounding the use of community supermarkets.

“Nobody knows that you’re struggling, you’re just going in to have a look,” Ms Hobbs told the BBC.

“I think it’s what’s in people’s heads that stops them using these places.”

Ms Townsend said it was “unfortunate” that community hubs and food banks were still needed.

“I just wish the government would look at this as a crisis in the UK and start looking at how they can actually help these people,” she told the BBC.

As well as the Braintree and Witham hubs, there are 12 others in Essex and another two on the way, which are supported by Essex County Council.

“Ultimately this has knocked on from the Covid pandemic, which saw a huge uptake in food banks,” said Ben Mann, the council’s lead for its affordable food programme.

“What we wanted to do was give people an alternative to that crisis support, where they maintain their dignity, their control and their choice over how they spend their money, but spend a little less money each time.

Cllr Mary Cunningham, cabinet member for stronger communities at Braintree District Council, said: “At present we have some really good local organisations and projects that help support our communities through the cost-of-living crisis, but we welcome the addition of this hub which will compliment our projects and bring affordable groceries and support to the people of Braintree.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said that “no-one should be living in poverty, and we know that the best route out of poverty for struggling families is well paid, secure work”.

“That is why we are reforming our broken welfare system so it helps people into good jobs, boosting living standards and putting money in people’s pockets.

“Alongside this we have increased the Living Wage, extended the Household Support Fund, and are supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions to help low-income households,” the spokesperson added.