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The Food Pantries, which have operated since the pandemic are based in a number of churches throughout Wigan. Instead of handouts, they provide once or twice weekly shopping baskets of 20 basic items, an annual fee of £5 in addition to a payment of whatever can be afforded gives users of the service a feeling of ownership and self-esteem.

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Matthew Bent, managing director at Bents said: “We’ve been wanting to donate our surplus food for a long time, but wanted to make sure it was going to the best place so have spent a lot of time researching the different opportunities available.

Food pantries in Wigan will now receive surplus food from Bents Garden and Home that would otherwise go to waste

“The Food Pantries network was a great choice. It isn’t a foodbank, but it is the perfect complement to one.

"Their aim is to offer good quality food alongside support from a wider community as well as an opportunity to manage money.

"We are very pleased that we can help by providing food, but their all-round offering is about so much more which is why we identified it as an initiative we wanted to support.”

Staff member of the Food Pantries scheme, Tracy Mathioudakis said: “For us at Tom’s pantry, the products we collect from Bents have been amazing. People are so happy to say the least.

“For me it’s the collections too that make a difference when you’re tired, had a long day yet are greeted with respect and pleasure by the wonderful staff at Bents who are so happy it’s going to good causes.”

Bents is always keen to support community initiatives and regularly provides donations to local schools and churches as well as sponsorship for sports teams including netball and football clubs and most recently donations of a wooden bar and blankets for the Warrington Youth Zone and plants donated to Culcheth Library.

More information about various food pantries in the borough, and operating times can be found on the Wigan Council website.

Garden centre gives a helping hand to Wigan food pantries with surplus produce

"We are very pleased that we can help by providing food, but their all-round offering is about so much more which is why we identified it as an initiative we wanted to support.”

“For me it’s the collections too that make a difference when you’re tired, had a long day yet are greeted with respect and pleasure by the wonderful staff at Bents who are so happy it’s going to good causes.”