Archive, April 2020: This article describes a temporary community response during the first COVID-19 lockdown. For current food support, see High Peak Foodbank at Zink.

During the first COVID-19 lockdown, communities across the UK organised shopping, prescription collection and phone calls for neighbours. Buxton volunteers also set up a food-box delivery service.

Carmel Gray, then owner of Outdoor Genius, came up with the idea, and volunteers from the Buxton Street by Street COVID-19 support group helped organise it.

Store cupboard essentials

In 2020, a box cost £15 and included store cupboard essentials such as pasta, tomatoes, rice, tea, baked beans and eggs.

Carmel explains her idea: “We know this is a really hard time and we wanted to help those who really needed it. This is very much geared towards people who are self-isolating and the elderly or vulnerable and people on their own who can’t leave their home, but the boxes can be purchased by anyone. Some people won’t have access to the internet or are unable to make online food orders; online food orders are virtually impossible at the moment with all the major supermarkets due to such high demand.”

“The box includes mostly non-perishable goods as there are lots of others doing milk, fresh fruit and vegetable deliveries so we felt this filled a bit of a gap for those struggling to get out. This is being run on a very local level for Buxton and on a non-profit making basis. We will aim to include items as listed on the flyer but as you can appreciate, things may vary slightly depending on supply.”

The 2020 box contained roughly enough food for two people.

The 2020 service

At the time, orders were collected weekly and delivered on Mondays.

Buxton Street by Street brought volunteers together to help neighbours during the 2020 emergency.