A NORTH-EAST council is hoping a pioneering charity initiative to redistribute surplus food to local communities will hit a milestone of a million meals by the end of the year.

The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT), which was first launched in Manchester, expanded into Darlington just as the first national lockdown was beginning in March, 2020.

The charity’s move to the North-East was made possible thanks to major financial contributions by Darlington Building Society, Cummins, and Darlington Borough Council.

That support enabled TBBT to buy a van and open its first community hub at Corporation Road Primary School.

Nearly two years on, there are seven hubs in the town, with two more planned, and the council is confident of reaching the milestone of a million meals being distributed to Darlington families by the end 2022.

Deputy council leader, Councillor Jonathan Dulston, said: “The Bread and Butter Thing is a fantastic initiative and we can’t thank Darlington Building Society and Cummins enough for their early support because it continues to make a massive difference.”

TBBT collects surplus food and staple goods from supermarkets and other retailers, before distributing them at a discount price through the community hubs.

The support comes in three elements: a fruit and veg bag; a ‘cupboard bag’ containing items like cereal, bread, eggs, pasta, sauces, and drinks; and a ‘chilled bag’ of goods such as meat, snacks, and dairy. It would all normally cost £35 but families only pay £7.50.

Darlington’s distribution points are at Firthmoor Community Centre, Skerne Park Community Centre, Elim Pentacostal Church, Corporation Road Primary School, Eastbourne Community Hub; Red Hall Primary School, and Windsor Court.

And Councillor Dulston reported that, so far, 650,000 meals have been distributed, amounting to 257,000 kilograms of food that would otherwise have gone to waste. He also revealed that there are plans to open another two hubs in the town, including one in the town centre.

“If we carry on at the current rate, and manage to open the two new hubs, I’m confident we can reach a million meals by the end of the year,” he said.

Since late summer, TBBT has been working with partners on additional projects at the community hubs. These include:

  • Routes To Work – providing jobs advice, CV writing, and one-to-one guidance.
  • Morrison Trust – running food hygiene sessions, plus job advice sessions.
  • Supporting Darlington Borough Council in distributing fuel vouchers to people struggling with rising winter costs.

TBBT chief executive Mark Game said: “I’m delighted that TBBT has been so warmly welcomed to the town and that we are now supporting hundreds of families each week, enabling them to feed their families healthy, affordable food as well as bringing in partners to help with additional support such as fuel, debt and job advice.”

Sue Bartle, a regular volunteer at Firthmoor Community Centre, added: “It’s no exaggeration to say that The Bread and Butter Thing has been a lifeline for lots of families.”