Shopper divides social media with photo of ‘most Monmouth thing I’ve ever seen’

Stephen Price

A Waitrose shopper has divided opinion online after sharing a photo of what he termed, the “most Monmouth thing I’ve ever seen”.

The post which has been shared widely across social media since it was uploaded on Thursday 1 October shows two Community Matters token boxes at Monmouth’s Waitrose store – one for Chepstow Foodbank, the other for Hedgehog Helpline – with the number of green tokens in the hedgehog charity’s perspex box far-exceeding those for the foodbank.

The poster added: “Bollocks to the poor and needy. Save the hedgehogs.”

According to Waitrose, their Community Matters programme, “means we can give something back, and help make a difference to local people through our greatest love – food”.

The initiative has donated over £50 million to good causes to date, giving customers a say in where future funds go, by picking up a token at the checkout and voting for the cause that means the most to them.

In Monmouth, it seems hedgehogs mean a great deal to Waitrose shoppers. So much so, in fact, that one commenter shared: “There was a sign on it last week which said: “we have emptied the hedgehog collection as it was full and yet it was still fuller than the other two. Go hedgehogs!”

Another commenter added: “It gets better. It was emptied and folks are still filling it again. I took this [photo] a couple of weeks ago and since then, it’s outstripped the other charities and is almost full for the SECOND time.”

Their comment included an updated photo, with a printed out poster dated 8 September 2026 which reads: “Please note, the Hedgehog Helpline column has previously been emptied of tokens due to the large quantity of tokens.”

Debate

The Facebook post has received over 900 responses, with one commenter adding: “Food banks are great but sad we need them.. amount of profit the big supermarkets make shows they could half all costs.”

Another added: “It’s not just the poor and needy that get access to food banks though that’s the issue. If I knew it was going solely to those who couldn’t afford food I’d donate in a heartbeat but it’s not it goes to people who chose eye lashes and nails over bread for their kids.”

One community member wrote: “Supermarkets have donation bins for food banks. People can donate food and then leave a token for the hedgehogs. Win/win.”

Another on team hedgehog shared: “The population of humans is growing, the population of hedgehogs is declining.”

While one wrote: “Humans have the capacity to help each other, if we really wanted to solve hunger and homelessness, humans would… When it comes to animals, humans have caused most of their issues.”

Jesting about the Hedgehog Helpline’s name, one wrote: “And the great tragedy is that Hedgehogs can’t even operate phones because of their tiny hands… so… it’s all a complete waste of time.”

A Waitrose shopper who supported both columns on separate occasions told Nation Cymru: “I hate to say, but it’s the talk of the town at the moment – but I don’t think people need to pit one cause against another.

“In the case of the foodbank, I know some people questioned why it’s for one sixteen miles away when we have one on the doorstep in Monmouth, perhaps that’s one reason why it’s not done so well.

“Hedgehogs are doing so poorly right now though – we hardly see them around here unless it’s when they’ve been killed on the roads so I can’t fault anyone that wants to try to give back before it’s too late.

“I’ve been into the shop twice this week and given to both though so my conscience is clear, but you can probably guess where my third token might be ending up.. What great publicity for both though.”

Hedgehog Helpline

Vet-led Hedgehog Helpline rescues sick injured and orphaned wild hedgehogs from across south Wales with the aim of releasing them back into the wild.

Hedgehog Helpline was founded in 1988 and registered as a charity in 1995. They are run and lead entirely by volunteers who donate their time to assist in protecting this native species which was sadly placed on the red list for Britain’s mammals as vulnerable to extinction in 2020.

They share: “We have seen their numbers plummet by millions over the past 40 years.

“Each field hospital is overseen by our vet and equipped to deal with all admissions professionally and with the hedgehogs interest and welfare at the heart of everything we do.”

Building on their legacy, in 2025 their Trustees embarked on the most ambitious chapter in the charity’s history: creating a purpose-built wildlife rehabilitation centre designed to provide seamless care from admission through treatment, rehabilitation, and ultimately release back into the wild.

And now, that vision is set to become a reality, with a dedicated rehabilitation centre which will enable them to enhance animal welfare, support more hedgehogs than ever before, expand volunteer training, and continue leading hedgehog conservation in Wales for generations to come.

Chepstow Foodbank

Chepstow Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

They say: “We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis.”

Chepstow foodbank is a charity run under the umbrella of Chepstow & District Churches Together and works in partnership with individual donors, local schools, businesses and community groups.

With the help of the Trussell Trust they opened our doors in December 2012. They are supported by The Bridge Church, Chepstow Baptist Church and Chepstow Town Council who have all helped us with storage space and allow them to use their premises. They aim to see an end to UK hunger.

Every day people go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. A simple box of food makes a big difference, with foodbanks helping prevent crime, housing loss, family breakdown and mental health problems.

How the Foodbank works:

Food is donated

Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to a foodbank. Large collections often take place as part of Harvest Festival celebrations and food is also collected at supermarkets.

Food is sorted and stored

Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need. Over 40,000 people give up their time to volunteer at foodbanks.

Professionals identify people in need

Foodbanks partner with a wide range of care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers and police to identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Clients receive food

Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a warm drink or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem.

All causes matter – “it’s not a competition”

To support your chosen Community Matters charity at a Waitrose store, simply collect your green token at the checkout; look out for the Community Matters token unit as you leave the store then vote for the local cause that means the most to you by dropping the token in the relevant column.

The project with the most votes receives £1,500, while the second and third receive £1,000 and £500 respectively.

And a final word from our Waitrose shopper: “I think we should all remember that any cause or charity with positive aims is one worth supporting.

“Outside of this scheme, it’s not a competition, and thankfully each cause stands to benefit immensely. Hats off to anyone supporting or working for any cause close to their heart.”

Find out more about Hedgehog Helpline and donate online here.  Find out more or enquire about volunteering here and follow their updates on Facebook.

Donate to Chepstow Foodbank here. Donate food to other local Foodbanks through supermarket collection points, direct warehouse deliveries, or financial contributions via charities such as the Trussell Trust.

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