Island Echo recently visited the Parkside Pavilion to meet the volunteers at the Community Spirited Café, who combat loneliness, offer advice and help feed more than 600 people in need through the East Cowes Community Pantry.
Named after the business she set up in 2007 after her then young son spent 3 weeks in hospital, Jane Allchorn and a team of nearly 20 volunteers run the Community Spirited Café on East Cowes’ Vectis Road.
In 2016, following the care provider’s move into the Parkside Pavilion, Jane set up a community group to enable her to invite people to join her for social events. What first started as a knit and natter and games group later blossomed into several weekly, monthly and annual events and, in April 2022, the opening of the East Cowes Food Pantry.
At the time of publication, more than 650 Islanders, the majority from East Cowes, rely on the pantry to put food on the table. From teens to people in their 90s, individuals from all walks of life, including nurses, prison officers and other professionals, sometimes rely on the generosity of others.
Open on Tuesday between 12:00 and 14:30 and Wednesday between 10:00 and 12:30, the East Cowes Community Pantry stocks a variety of fresh and frozen food, meats, vegetables, cupboard staples and pet food – all available to those in need.
Touching on how the pantry works, volunteer Keith Kite has said:
“People join us by filling in a simple form, which is basically just their name, address and a little bit of other information.
“ We have to see the person, we won’t allow anybody to join for a third party. For £5 they are allowed 10 what we would call green items (tins, dry goods, cupboard staples), and 2 red ones (meat and fish).
Article continues below this advertisement “Each customer comes in on their own. It’s a small room with a couple of volunteers. Some people want total support and will stand with a list, saying, ‘I want A, B, C and D,’ and you do it. Other people want to be left totally alone.”
Though much of the food is purchased by Community Spirited, paid for through grants and similar funding, a large percentage is donated.
Speaking to Island Echo, Keith Kite said:
“The donors are brilliant. We receive a lot of items either from organisations such as churches, directly from supermarkets, or from private individuals. However, you couldn’t run the pantry on that alone.
“We know most of our customers by first name and we often catch up on their news.”
Community Spirited was also behind an award ceremony in 2023 that celebrated small businesses in East Cowes and was a driving force behind the resurrection of East Cowes Carnival last year.
Speaking to Island Echo, founder Jane Allchorn has said:
“ I think the one thing that comes from absolutely everybody involved here, volunteers and staff, is enthusiasm. I just love it, if we’re here and helping someone.
“The team of volunteers love what they do. I hope that come’s through when people speak to them.”
Touching on how Community Spirited has been so successful over the years, Jane has said:
“ I think it’s because we involve the community. They help us massively because we can’t do everything what we do without their help, whether that’s donating, food, money, clothes or anything like that.
“Every day is different here. But I love it. I still really love it.”
Throughout the year, Community Spirited holds several community events, nearly all of which are the brainchild of fundraising organiser Sally Faulkner. Their most recent effort, an Easter Egg Hunt, raised more than £1,000.
The pantry at the Community Spirited Café runs alongside 3 weekly groups, which include a mental wellness group on Tuesday, knit and natter on Wednesday and a games group on Thursday.
Sporadically, individuals from Citizens Advice, Diabetes IW and Footprint Trust visit Community Spirited to speak to members of the local community.
