Community Support

Running five days a week (including weekends), our food larder is open for those who need it. Operating from the Swan and Helmet pub, we invite you to come and shop with us at a safe, social distance. We offer grocery packs containing essential items such as cereal, pasta, tea bags, coffee, bread, fruit, vegetables and much more at a reduced price.

There are two tiers available, a basket of 8 items for £5 or a basket of 16 items for £10. There is no need for a professional referral, however, you must provide proof of address.

This service is available to all on the following days:

Mon, Tue, Fri: 4pm – 6pm

Sat & Sun: Noon – 2pm

We understand that dilapidated gardens or a run-down room can cause distress and affect people’s wellbeing. This summer, our wonderful volunteers have already cleared, de-weeded and tidied up over 75 neglected gardens in the local area. During the winter months and beyond, we also offer single room renovations. Use our nominate page to nominate someone who you think deserves a well-needed home makeover!

Our doorstep buddy programme seeks to help those feeling lonely or isolated by organising visits from one of our fantastic volunteers. Whether it’s for a general chit-chat, a listening ear or assistance with simple tasks, doorstep buddies are there to offer friendship and guidance to those who need it most. Our volunteers have been DBS checked and once COVID-19 restrictions have been eased, will be able to come inside your home or stand at the front door depending on preference or weather. If you or somebody you know would like a visit from a doorstep buddy in the first instance, please call Teresa on 01604 532121.

Get together with friends you’ve not yet met at our weekly meet-up!

Hosted every Tuesday at The Swan and Helmet Pub, this event is for members of our community who want to make new friends in a laid back environment. Visit our social gathering; you can join others to play card games like crib and 25s, enjoy a game of darts or join the knitting club.

There is something to entertain everyone, complimentary tea & coffee and lots of friendly faces.

We all like to look our best, but haircuts can be expensive and we want to offer members of the community a cost-friendly alternative. Affordable haircuts for all hair types are available on a regular basis at The Swan & Helmet pub. Stylists will apply to any restrictions necessary regarding COVID-19.

There are a limited number of spaces available for this service so please call 01604 532121 to book your spot. Dry trims cost just £8 for women (restyled from £15), £7 for men and £6 for children.

Cookery Classes are run by Teresa (our in-house qualified Chef) on a Tuesday and a Thursday at various times. We have three levels of class:

Basic – someone who has very low confidence in the kitchen with very few skills, likely to be someone who is used to ready meals. We’ll work with you to understand your likes and dislikes and your budget to then go out and shop with you for your ingredients and plan your meals to be able to prepare your them within your available budget.

Once you’ve learned a wide selection of basic meals we then offer an intermediate level class to work on a more balanced diet, consider your nutrients and to broaden your skills in the kitchen to that next level. We also work with you to plan meals for your family throughout the various seasons of the year.

Finally, we offer an advanced course aimed at those who have the skills and a love for food as well as a desire to cook recipes that are more complex and use ingredients that you wouldn’t have previously used. This can include planning and serving meals for a dinner party through to making jams and marmalades.

If any of these classes are of interest, contact on Teresa on 01604 532121, or keep an eye on our facebook page for our latest updates.

The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation are very proud to be working with a number of other local initiatives to help extend our support out to the wider community.

The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation are pleased to support The Food Aid Alliance who support the local community in many ways including:

• Food Banks
• Food Aid
• Food Club
• Food Larder
• Meal Provision Service

For further information about any of these services, or for times, dates and locations, please download these documents.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height, lockdowns and restrictions were introduced and the whole country’s schools were shut down, leaving the students to work from home.

Many of the most vulnerable children in our community either had no IT equipment at all or were forced to use outdated and unreliable devices that weren’t up to the task of home education.

The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation were able to source and supply 67 laptops with the most recent software and hardware in place to allow them to continue their education from home with the right tools.