‘Pay as you feel’ foodbank to be established in primary school

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A ‘pay as you feel’ foodbank is to be established at a primary school as part of a project to tackle food poverty and reduce food waste.

Plans have been lodged with Torfaen county borough’s planning department in one of the most deprived areas in Torfaen.

Two steel containers will house a Big Bocs Bwyd or big food box at Garnteg Primary School in Garndiffaith, Pontypool.

Big Bocs Bwyd is a project that runs across Wales and aims to improve access to healthy food for local residents while tackling food poverty and reducing food waste.

The initiative also intends to help people feel comfortable using a foodbank and a statement in support of the planning application explains:

“Unlike a traditional food bank, the initiative seeks to remove the stigma often associated with food support services by creating an inclusive, community-focused environment.”

It will also support the primary school’s aim that “every child that attends school will be able receive a nutritious meal at home.”

The statement also highlights how the project will be integrated into children’s learning around healthier food as well as meal planning and preparation, cooking and growing food while pupils will also have the chance to volunteer with the project and “experience running and managing a successful enterprise”.

There are also plans to involve parents, including the “most vulnerable families” attending the school, including “food literacy courses” and how to plan nutritional meals on a budget.

The statement also adds the school wants to work with the local community through the project with Torfaen Borough Council supportive of its intention to be part of the Big Bocs Bwyd scheme.

It states:

“Garndiffiath is recognised as one of most deprived areas within the local authority and evidence suggests that health issues are more prevalent within the community.

“We hope to encourage the local community to engage with this imitative and to foster links with the local community with the aim of the BBB scheme becoming a hub that will grow, develop and establish itself as an integral service.”

The planning statement also explains the school has 47 parking spaces, while there is a public car park with nine spaces outside its entrance, which is described as “adequate to accommodate the anticipated level of use associated with the Big Bocs Boyd” while there is also a bus stop 120 metres from the lower school entrance.

The two steel cabins will be located near to the school entrance and while some wildflower habitat will be lost as a result wildflower plug planting will take place next to the climbing wall, in the playground, as mitigation with a “bug hotel” to also be created to encourage insects.

The newly planted wildflowers will be planted away from the area adjacent to Japanese knotweed present in existing vegetation to avoid exposure to any routine Japanese knotweed treatment.

The application is being considered by the council’s planning department.

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