For the past few months, North Star has been supporting Groundwork through Community Connection funding to provide a vital service to organisations and projects working across Stockton and beyond.

Our funding has paid for one member of staff, with access to a Groundwork van, for 25 hours per week, to support the coordinated efforts of Stockton Borough Council, Little Sprouts, the Moses project and volunteers at the Havelock Centre.

The access to a large vehicle has been a much welcomed addition to the effort. In addition to being involved in the distribution of up to 50 care and food packages a day, Groundwork have been able to collect donations and surplus food from suppliers such as Tesco stores and local Co-Op stores. Some days this has been as much as 40 crates of produce. They have then taken them to hubs, where they are sorted and packed again ready for distribution.

Without supporting the efforts in this way, the collection and distribution would be more time consuming and labour intensive, and would result in far fewer essentials getting to the people who need it.

Mike from Groundwork says:

“Some days when I arrive at the Hub there can be 10 or more families waiting outside. I know the project will feed all of them and the others who turn up today. All the partners are doing a great job and I am glad I am playing a small part in this.

I am lucky I go home to food on the table. I hope I can make sure others do in the coming weeks, playing my part, albeit it small, in the world of Covid 19.”