Two Newbury care homes Winchcombe Place and Newbury Grove donate dozens of food items to West Berks Foodbank and McCann’s Café

Two Newbury care homes have gathered dozens of food items to help local families in need.

To celebrate this year’s Harvest Festival, residents and team members at Care UK’s Winchcombe Place on Maple Crescent and Newbury Grove on London Road encouraged the local community to donate their extra, unused or unwanted non-perishable food items.

These items – which were dropped at each care home’s temporary foodbank drop-off point throughout October – were then donated to West Berks Foodbank and McCann’s Café, which provides free lunches for children during the school holidays.

Newbury Grove’s general manager Adarsh Kurian said: “At Newbury Grove, we are always looking for ways to give back and support our community and local charities, which is why we were delighted to partner with West Berks Foodbank and launch our first ever foodbank drop-off point.

“In these challenging times, we know many people may be struggling, and with Christmas fast approaching, it’s more important than ever to support foodbanks, which provide a vital lifeline for many members of our local community.”

Newbury Grove handed over nine crates of donations to West Berks Foodbank on Friday, October 25.

Last month, Winchcombe Place was visited by children from Winchcombe School who spent valuable time with the care home residents discussing food waste.

Together, they explored practical ways to be mindful about food, learning from the older generation's time-tested practices.

Residents shared how, in their day, they would avoid cooking too much, repurpose leftovers and create new meals with minimal waste.

The children were left inspired by these simple yet impactful ways to reduce food waste.

Winchcombe Place home manager Clare Cullen said: “Working with McCann’s Café for this year’s Harvest Festival was a meaningful way for us to extend our care beyond the walls of our homes.

“By setting up a foodbank drop-off point at our care home, we created an opportunity for residents, the team and local people to come together in the spirit of giving.

“This reflects our commitment to supporting those in need and helping to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they require, especially as we head into the winter months, when more support is often needed.”