· no one left not knowing where to turn
· no one slipping through the net unnoticed
· no one going without their basic supplies
· no one sacrificing essentials like heating and power to keep food in the house
We all face challenging times, and the Store is here to help ease some of the pressure. If you're facing difficulty keeping your home stocked with the basics, you can get advice and support from amazing local services like Citizens Advice and they can refer you to us for supplies. If you need to, you can come direct to us to book an in-store appointment at the 'shop with no till' or request a delivery to your home.
This is all made possible through the big-hearted community spirit of the people and businesses of Godalming & Villages who donate goods and funds to distribute to locals who find themselves in need. We've had donors & supporters come through the door weeks later as customers - we know challenging times can come to any of us, and we're all in this together.
As well as our commitment to supporting people through difficult times, we like to make sure we are doing everything we can do to avoid food waste and help get donations to where they’ll be of most use. We share perishable items and bulk donations with local community services such as other foodbanks, care providers or shelters for the homeless. You can help too by visiting our 'top up trolley' where you will find a ‘lucky dip’ of excess stock items available outside the store during opening hours.
We operate under Godalming Town Council and work together with other local foodbanks, charities & support agencies to try to make sure that our help reaches those who need it most. We will also help customers to make links with other organisations who can help them to get life on a more even keel, whilst we help keep hunger at bay for the whole household to ease the pressure. You can read more about who we work with, and how, in our 'About us' section.
Sharing the wealth
We are a community group working on a voluntary basis to support the anyone in the community who is in need. Though Godalming is a generally affluent area, this is far from exclusively the case and tends to make this an expensive place with high living costs for all. The Community Store runs on an entirely non-profit basis, seeking donated goods and funds to be able to offer supplies at no cost to those facing difficult times.
Working with Godalming Town Council
Godalming Town Council (GTC) has been central to the establishment and ongoing support of the Community Store since April 2020. Our volunteer group has worked alongside Council staff for 16 months keeping the Store open, manning the phone and email contact lines, providing premises for us, collecting donationed items and managing all of the finances behind the scenes.
As this first phase of the Community Store’s operations morphs into a volunteer-led model, we are extremely thankful for the ongoing support of the Godalming Town Council in enabling us to continue to operate on a voluntary basis under their umbrella.
We operate under GTC policies, in relation to Data Protection and Health & Safety. We meet regularly with staff and Councillors to keep them informed of progress through these challenging and ever-changing times.
Our volunteer team
Since the Community Store started we have had more than 35 volunteers from different walks of life who have given their time, from a few hours, to some who are still with us over a year later! Our belief is the more diverse the group we can bring in, the more solutions we can find to different problems. Each volunteer has their own unique strengths and every one of them has been fundamental to the successful running of the store.
Driving, sorting, labelling, stacking, re-stacking, boxing up, date sorting, designing, recruiting, training, inspiring, energising, making the cuppas and mopping the floors. It’s been a busy time! Without our volunteers it would not have been possible to support so many within our local community.
In 2021 we were extremely proud of our volunteer team when Penny Rivers presented us with the Mayor's Volunteer Awards in recognition of “Local people carrying out a voluntary service in Godalming for the benefit of the community of Godalming Town”
With special thanks
Grateful thanks to the following organisations who have very kindly donated financially to the Godalming & Villages Community Store:
Thanks also go to all the private individuals who have and continue to donate to the Community Store – the generosity of the whole community has been outstanding. Thank you!
Now officially an 'award-winning' team! With many thanks to Mayor Penny Rivers for the encouragement
Copyright © 2022 Godalming & Villages Community Store - All Rights Reserved
Registered Charity Number 1199787