Dereham Food Cabin hailed by Norfolk's Lord Lieutenant |
It is a food hub offering nutritious affordable food to families in and around the Dereham area and supports close to 300 families.
The cabin is open to everyone and is located at Wellspring Family Centre, It opens 9-11.30am on Tuesdays and 10am-12pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Norfolk's Lord Lieutenant Lady Dannatt wrote to Dereham Food Cabin co-ordinator Jayne Olley and said: "I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks for the extraordinary commitment, compassion and energy to you bring to Dereham Food Cabin every week."
Lady Dannatt said she had followed the Nourishing Norfolk journey from the beginning and "continued to be moved by how access to affordable good food has strengthened our communities."
The letter continued: "Your willingness to give your time, your kindness and your care brings dignity, connection and hope to people across Norfolk.
"The support you offer makes a profound difference to the lives of those who rely on the Cabin. That is a remarkable gift."
Lady Dannatt continued: "Please know how deeply valued you are. The difference you make is real, it is lasting and it is noticed. Thank you."
Mrs Olley said: “I was quite blown away, it’s absolutely wonderful to be recognised for the work we do in our community. We are however part of a bigger team working closely to combat food poverty in Dereham. The Salvation Army, The Dereham Aid Centre, Love Dereham, The Food Bank and us at The Food Cabin make up The Dereham Food Forum. This reconstruction is as much for them as it is for us.”
Norfolk Deputy Lord Lieutenants Han Yang Yap and Victoria Keith visited the Food Cabin to meet volunteers and see the work in action.