Local Bangor man helps Gwynedd’s most vulnerable by providing essential food parcels.

There is no doubt locals in Bangor are familiar with Bwyd Da, the coffee shop based in central Bangor, which offers amazing food with a great ambience. However, most people are unaware of the hidden gem underneath.

This warm welcoming cafe provides those in need with a lifeline, delivering essential food parcels specific to the individual’s needs at the time. Ensuring people of all backgrounds, no matter their situation, are fed.

Unlike most food banks in the UK, there are no qualifying criteria for receiving a food parcel at this location. This makes Bwyd I Bawb unique from other food banks out there.

Anyone in need simply needs to be referred to the scheme, a referral from a professional such as a social worker would be all you would need. 

Whilst the cost of living is at an all-time high, the negative aspects surrounding food banks and poverty are broadcast in the news daily. And so it should, however, despite inflation and prices skyrocketing, some good is happening in communities, thanks to people like Steve. 

Interview With Steve from Bwyd Da

When asked, “Have you seen a rise in the number of people that need food?” Steve stated, “There has been a rise over the last few years, a lot more this year, and many more people are struggling and needing provision. It’s the cost of living crisis.” “We don’t have any qualifying criteria, so we just provide the food to those in need on a request basis.” 

When asked why they set the Bwyd Da organization up in the first place, Steve responded: “Between a lot of different existing food banks, during the pandemic, different people were doing different food projects in the area; I was doing one out of the high street, North Wales recovery which is just out of the town.

We were doing all other ones as well, mostly home delivery stuff to people in lockdown, and they all merged, so when this place set up, setting up the food club was a priority for the health board funders who were backing the scheme. 

So we ended up; my condition was that if they wanted me to run the food club, I’d run the food bank out of the basement as well. It’s basically a merger of lots of smaller things in order to make it big enough to be sustainable. “

The Trussell Trust

In 1997, The Trussell Trust was established. They currently maintain a network of food banks across the UK, which is supported by thousands of volunteers. Each gives emergency food to those in need, as well as other support to combat the core causes of poverty and increase people’s resiliency. They pool the knowledge of food banks in networks and their own communities to combat the fundamental economic difficulties that trap individuals in poverty. 

The Trussell Trust, the UK’s leading food bank, can only provide up to 3 food parcels per person in six months.

In keeping this project up and running, Steve and his organization provided people with a lifeline they otherwise wouldn’t have had. 

When questioned why his project has no qualifying criteria, Steve replied: “Having no criteria is vital to me! Anyone should be entitled to have food. There is way too much of that going on with the various food banks around Gwynedd, making people jump through hoops when they need some help. 

You need to have an imagination of how to get people fed. We hoover up the ones who get rejected from other groups.” 

The food bank has roughly 100 clients at present, who each receive a home-delivered food package designed for three different schemes tailored to the needs of the household in question. 

The three types of package are ‘buttie bags’ for those in sheltered accommodation with no cooking facilities, frozen meal bags for those with only a microwave (and often complex needs), and the family food box for those with more than one mouth to feed and the ability to cook. This stands out from other food banks, as it has designated categories depending on your circumstances. 

Food Surplus Club

As a separate project, Steve also manages Bwyd Da’s food surplus club, where approx 80 members get to choose roughly £20 worth of produce per week for £5. 

This club has become vital for many. Especially for those struggling with supermarket prices continuously on the rise. £20 worth of fresh produce for £5 means the difference from having one meal a day to two or three, a necessity millions have cut down on due to the cost of living crisis.

Consumer Rights visit to Bwyd Da

Consumer Rights were delighted to visit Bwyd Da, seeing first hand the impact of the work and dedication Steve and his team provide to some of society’s most vulnerable in times of crisis. It’s brilliant to see community projects coming to life in small communities, but even better to see Gwynedd’s most vulnerable being given an essential lifeline in these unprecedented times.

Bwyd Da are doing a fantastic job at making a difference, it is our hope that Consumer Rights can set up a partnership with them, offering a donation to help towards the life changing work Steve and his team do. 

Readers in and around Gwynedd can also get involved in this project and make a difference to people’s lives. Just £1, tinned food or anything that could be donated is widely appreciated and goes a long way. These small donations are the difference between no meal and a meal for a lot of people. 

By running this small yet mighty project, Steve and his team are making a massive difference in and around Gwynedd. 

On behalf of the residents of Gwynedd, Consumer Rights would like to thank Steve and his team for all of their hardwork and dedication.

By Danielle Lockett