Gemma Fish and Alisson for Salford Step Into Action, taken by me

A Walkden group helping families in need is running an evening food club to provide parcels of goods for £2 amid the cost of living crisis.

Salford Step Into Action has been operating since 2000, helping those who are struggling to make ends meet.

It runs a host of events at its base on Manchester Road to give back and allow the community financial breathing room.

It runs an affordable community shop, provide food parcels and runs cheap ‘food club’ days and nights where people can come, pay £2.50 and get 12 food items and free toiletries.

Photo of perishiable items at the SIA, Taken by me
Photo of perishable items at the SIA.

Gemma Fish, who runs the organisation, said: “We have an affordable community shop, based in Walkden where we sell items for 20p, 50p and a pound. That’s homeware, clothes, furniture, absolutely everything. We also gift a lot of items.

“We help anybody and everybody right across Salford with whatever they might need from our base here at the hub. We have playgroups. We have our food club, and we provide food parcels as well to families.”

Food in SIA, Taken by me
Food in SIA, Taken by me

Around 50 people are helped each week, but numbers are growing again. No referral is needed.

She said: “We did see a decline in the need for it and we were really hopeful that we were coming to the end of that sort of thing. Then they put the electricity prices up. And it just literally went absolutely mad.

“People are having to make choices between electricity and food. And that is where we are still at now, there’s no help at all.”

Board In SIA, taken by me
Board In SIA, taken by me

Gemma continued: “We are also introducing some evening classes which will be for people who want to complete their GCSEs who might not have done it. People who want to learn how to write CVS, or whatever it might be.

“We’re not tied to certain things. We can do whatever we need to do. So whatever the need is we will respond to it.”

To learn more about Step into Action, click here.

 

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