Kettering's Shack Food Project providing families with food and presents this Christmas

The Shack Food Project is a non-profit organisation based in Kettering currently in its third year running as a food bank and community help service, providing support and essential items for families in need across Kettering, Corby and Geddington.

The project was set up by Claire Gurney, mum-of-four with another baby on the way, in her conservatory during the peak of the pandemic in 2020.

Claire’s venture has since then taken the form of a shop in Lower Street, Kettering.

This progression is the result of Claire’s determination to help her community as much as possible and is also a sign of the increasing need that vulnerable people have for aid outside of their homes.

She said: “I started off with mainly just the food, and then started getting requested to see if I could help with certain other things. Which is when I started with children and baby stuff, we work with social services where we gift baby items through referrals.”

With Christmas around the corner, parents are getting anxious about how to keep their children warm let alone what presents to put under the tree.

Claire’s project involves putting together parcels of toys and food to be handed out to families to alleviate some of the pressure on parents.

She said: “This year it’s a lot harder for people with the cost of living. It’s crippling people, so more people need help with Christmas.

"Last year we sent out over 200 parcels, this year we’re pushing about 315.

"That’s with walk-ins, school referrals, social service referrals and different places like that.

"We give them a fresh Christmas dinner, fresh vegetables, fresh chicken, and each child in the household gets a book, a teddy, a brand-new toy, and a selection box.

"I think we’ve got about 600 children that we will be giving gifts to.

"Because we’re only voluntary, we rely heavily on donations from people, and they’ve been brilliant.

“Our GoFundMe is sitting at about £1,500.

"We don’t have a set target but the more the better.

"We’re working with Jamie’s Butchers, so people can go in there and donate a chicken for our cause. Basically, every little helps.”

Despite receiving donations from the public and having volunteers to help with packing, the lack of financial support from the government has not gone unfelt.

Claire said: "Prices are kept very low in the Shack Food Project shop to maximise the number of people who can afford to buy items, but with the price of supermarket items continuously rising even a £2 baby’s clothing item can feel like too much.

“I get people come in here in tears because they don’t know whether to feed the kids or heat the kids or give them electricity.

"With us, because we are voluntary based, we want to help everybody that comes in.

"Our parcels have doubled, but the donations are not there because people don’t have the money to donate which makes us sink a little bit.

“We still have to pay rent and try and keep everything going but there’s no help out there, even as a food bank we don’t get any help from the government.”

For more details click here.