Right now, hundreds of families are fighting the seemingly unending battle of either feeding their family or heating their homes, a choice no one should ever have to make. In an attempt to lighten the load on vulnerable families, Newport Congregational Church is feeding the community materially as well as spiritually through their free pantry provision, but they are in need of help.

Supporting approximately 120 people a week in just four hours, the secret to such a well-organised service is the selfless volunteers who give up their time. But it’s through Island connections, such as a working relationship with Morrisons’ management, that has allowed the pantry to bulk-buy produce cheaper, ensuring public money goes further.

A joint community garden, with the Catholic Church next door, encourages people to eat healthy, organic produce, despite their difficult circumstances.

Frozen food and ingredients left over from the IW Festival, and menu changes at Morrisons Café, are generously donated to the pantry. These are then cooked into hundreds of delicious, nutritious dishes by volunteers, giving recipients peace of mind that their dinners have been safely prepared and stored.

Those who require the pantry service pay just £5 on each visit, which then entitles them to choose two frozen items and ten items from the shelves. That includes anything from jams and crackers to coffees and soups, and even cleaning products.

On-hand are representatives from different charities and companies, including Living Well and Utilita, to help support individuals in other aspects of life. Volunteers bake cakes and serve teas and coffees, all of which adds to the atmosphere of local camaraderie.

A small room, funded by the IW Council and local supermarkets in the church’s kitchen, has been dubbed ‘The Kindness Cupboard’ by volunteers. Shelves line the wall, containing food parcels, sanitary products, blankets, hot water bottles, and scarves for the masses coming in hungry, cold and struggling. Volunteers can either give visitors something instant, to take away with them, or cook them up a simple meal.

The pantry does incredible work for the Island, but is now being met with an insurmountable blockade: funding. For the last 18 months, the pantry has received government funding via the IW Council. But, with demand for the service sky-rocketing, it has become an increasingly difficult process to purchase the sheer amount of food needed.

An application form, which was once considerably easier to fill in, has become a logistical nightmare, with information being requested that has never been asked for before, like sharing people’s names and addresses. On top of this, there’s been a delay.

Adding to the stress that carrying visitors’ emotional baggage can bring on the team, some pantries don’t even know if they’re to receive funding for the rest of the year.

Rev Mark Evan explained: “Before the general election, there was a Spring Budget announced which would have provided money. But we’ve still not seen the finances of that. My concern is that, as pantries, we don’t know if we’re going to have money going into the winter, which is when we see some of the most vulnerable on the Island.”

Cllr Jonathan Bacon, cabinet member for children’s services, education and corporate functions, emphasised: “So much work goes on behind the scenes in these community pantries, and their work is extraordinary as a result. These crucial services must be supported and saved for the good of the community.”