'Scary' demand for Braintree community supermarket
A new community supermarket has opened in a town, due to a similar facility nearby struggling to meet demand.The Braintree Hub in Essex contains groceries and everyday items which can be bought by its members at a discounted price.Its sister hub in Witham has seen an increase in people travelling from Braintree to use its services due to the cost-of-living crisis.Founder of the hubs, Tina Townsend, said the local demand for help was "quite scary".
'Feeling the pinch'
Members pay an annual fee of £5 which enables them to use the community supermarket. The hub premises will also contain computer facilities and there are plans for a cafe in the future."I've had over a thousand messages already about when are we opening, what times, what days," Ms Townsend told the BBC."We'll give it a go, we'll do our best and if we run out of stock on day one, we'll just have to restock on day two".
Laura Fowle, 45, has used the Witham Hub for the last few months to purchase discounted food. A bookkeeper in London for 19 years, she knows how to handle her money, but her working days were cut from four to three."I was quite OK before then but now I'm really feeling the pinch - certain months there's less money than I'd hope for," she said."[The hub] has made a massive difference - being able to put the heating on, staying warm and healthy and happy, it's just fantastic."Another user of the Witham Hub, Carolyn Hobbs, says it helps as her pension "only stretches so far".The 66-year-old said people should not worry about any stigma surrounding the use of community supermarkets."Nobody knows that you're struggling, you're just going in to have a look," Ms Hobbs told the BBC."I think it's what's in people's heads that stops them using these places."
'A crisis in the UK'
Ms Townsend said it was "unfortunate" that community hubs and food banks were still needed."I just wish the government would look at this as a crisis in the UK and start looking at how they can actually help these people," she told the BBC.As well as the Braintree and Witham hubs, there are 12 others in Essex and another two on the way, which are supported by Essex County Council."Ultimately this has knocked on from the Covid pandemic, which saw a huge uptake in food banks," said Ben Mann, the council's lead for its affordable food programme."What we wanted to do was give people an alternative to that crisis support, where they maintain their dignity, their control and their choice over how they spend their money, but spend a little less money each time.Cllr Mary Cunningham, cabinet member for stronger communities at Braintree District Council, said: "At present we have some really good local organisations and projects that help support our communities through the cost-of-living crisis, but we welcome the addition of this hub which will compliment our projects and bring affordable groceries and support to the people of Braintree."
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said that "no-one should be living in poverty, and we know that the best route out of poverty for struggling families is well paid, secure work"."That is why we are reforming our broken welfare system so it helps people into good jobs, boosting living standards and putting money in people's pockets."Alongside this we have increased the Living Wage, extended the Household Support Fund, and are supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions to help low-income households," the spokesperson added.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
BioNTech to acquire CureVac in $1.25 billion all-stock deal
June 12 (Reuters) - German biotech firm BioNTech ( opens new tab said on Thursday it agreed to acquire domestic peer CureVac ( opens new tab for about $1.25 billion worth of BioNTech shares to boost its work on new mRNA-based cancer treatments. The agreed deal, which pairs up two former rivals in the race to develop COVID-19 vaccines, each CureVac share will be exchanged for about $5.46 in BioNTech American depositary shares, BioNTech said. "With the acquisition, BioNTech aims to strengthen the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of investigational mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy," it added. The payment in shares is subject to a collar mechanism, the company said.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
UK households rush to 'hold physical cash' as warning issued to millions
Households are seeking a safety net in time of global volatility, according to the Bank of England's chief cashier UK households have been issued a warning to "hoard physical cash" as Brits scramble to respond amidst economic uncertainty and fear of shortages. According to the Bank of England's chief cashier, households are seeking a safety net during this period of global volatility. Victoria Cleland stated on Tuesday that UK households were creating a cash contingency fund, similar to their actions during the Covid and cost of living crises. She noted that the Bank had observed a significant rise in the number of banknotes in circulation in recent months. "At a time of uncertainty, at a time of crisis, people do move to cash. They want to make sure they have literally got something under the mattress," said Ms Cleland. "Even in the UK, there will be times where networks are down and you can only be paying in cash." Cleland mentioned that consumers want cash "to be there but they're not necessarily using it". Last year, Ron Delnevo, chair of the Payment Choice Alliance, which advocates for the long-term future of cash services, declared it was "completely unacceptable" that some shops were refusing cash. "The vast majority of the public want cash to be honoured as a payment," he stated. "These businesses are letting down the public." Kate Osborne, the Labour Party MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East, who has signed the early day motion, expressed: "It is a fundamental right that people should be able to use cash as a legal tender. "When you are trying to budget, particularly if you are on a low income, cash is a simple way of doing it. I understand that many people are not using cash much of the time, but there should be choice for all. "We are seeing more and more retailers offering card-only payments, and it causes problems in constituencies like mine where we've got a high number of people who are digitally excluded or may choose not to do electronic banking." The Bank of England has suggested that in the coming years, alternative digital payment methods will likely become increasingly accepted and utilised, reports Birmingham Live. In 2017, debit cards surpassed cash as the most frequently used payment method in the UK.
Time Out
an hour ago
- Time Out
SA's new domestic flight developments signal good news for travellers?
South Africans have long struggled with sky-high airfares when travelling between major cities. The situation worsened with the collapse of several airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, including Comair, which had long been one of the country's most successful and reliable carriers. Over the years, domestic prices have remained steep, and flight options have been scarce. However, change appears to be looming as Mango signals its potential return. A quick fare check for return flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg, for example highlights the current cost landscape. FlySafair comes in cheapest at about R2,824, while SAA averages R3,233. Lift is priced at approximately R3,665. Airlink and CemAir are the most expensive, with both pricing return tickets at over R4,000. (The flight searches were conducted for travel between 9–16 July, with similar departure and arrival times and with none to limited luggage ancillary options chosen.) This makes the ongoing battle in South Africa's domestic skies promising as it would bring more choice and potentially lower prices for travellers. South African Airways (SAA), the national carrier, is expanding its fleet and route network. The news follows the national carrier distancing itself from its former low-cost subsidiary, Mango Airlines, which is in the final stages of business rescue. Mango was grounded in July 2021 and subsequently placed under business rescue. Though still technically a subsidiary of SAA, the two entities have operated independently since then. SAA has since released a statement clarifying that it has no control or involvement in Mango's operations, financial obligations, or the ticket refund process, which is still underway for unflown flights booked before the airline suspended services. The revival of Mango, which once targeted the frequent domestic business traveller, has been slow and mired in disputes. Still, a new investor is reportedly close to acquiring the airline with plans to relaunch it. Whether Mango re-emerges as a strong competitor remains to be seen. What's clear, however, is that SAA is charting its own course. The state-owned airline, which exited its business rescue process in 2021, is actively rebuilding its operations, with a new aircraft added to its fleet announced this week. SAA hopes to add five more aircraft to its fleet during 2025, a move intended to increase seat availability and reduce pressure on prices for both domestic and regional travel. 'This is a remarkable achievement considering that just over three years ago, the airline emerged from business rescue with just six aircraft. Since 2021, the team at SAA has worked strategically and consistently to grow the fleet and route network sustainably. These additional aircraft will enable SAA to continue fulfilling our promise to add seat capacity in both the domestic and regional markets and thereby contributing to the affordability of passenger air travel, ' says Professor John Lamola, interim CEO at SAA. SAA is also set to reintroduce and expand several key domestic and regional routes, including: Johannesburg–George (launching April 2026) Johannesburg–East London (date to be confirmed) Cape Town–Durban (date to be confirmed) Johannesburg–Gaborone (launching October 2025) Cape Town–Mauritius (seasonal flights launching November 2025) For South African travellers, particularly frequent flyers and holidaymakers, the increased competition and route expansion couldn't come at a better time. As the airline industry regains momentum, more flights and better fares may finally be within reach. FlySafair's CMO, Kirby Gordon notes that while increased competition can bring prices down, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. 'Competitive pricing is huge,' he explains, 'but some routes simply can't support more than one player. On others, adding flights or larger aircraft and dropping fares can boost demand — but not always. Undoubtedly, this is where the opportunities and risks exist. Gordon adds that the introduction of new airlines or additional capacity, even from existing players, inevitably puts downward pressure on prices. 'Airlines are price-takers, not price-setters,' he says. 'If there's too much supply and yields drop below sustainable levels, someone will eventually shrink or exit the market as it corrects itself.'
