Bag-a-Bargain beats the credit munch » Housing » 24dash.com

A volunteer for a local food cooperative scheme backed by The Riverside Group is urging others to join him.

Richard Davies, 51, from Tranmere is one of a team of locals who has been helping to spread the message of healthy eating in the Tranmere and Rock Ferry areas of Wirral working on the Bag-a-Bargain community fruit and veg scheme since it started two years ago.

The Riverside Group is ploughing £60,000 into the jointly funded scheme, which sells cheap fresh fruit and vegetables at community venues. The funding is part of £450,000 allocation for the Tranmere and Rock Ferry areas derived from a £15.6million bid from the Big Lottery’s Changing Spaces programme, to improve up to 75 neighbourhoods in the UK.

Richard, who is a wheelchair user, works alongside volunteers to devote 16 hours a week to bag up the fresh produce, arrange delivery to community venues and take orders from customers.

Richard said: “I would encourage people to come forward and spend a few hours a week on this brilliant scheme. We have a great team but we are always looking for others to join us. It’s good to know that you are putting something back into the community. You get to meet lots of people who sometimes don’t see anyone outside their own homes for days on end. There are very few greengrocers in the area and it’s quite a way to travel to the larger supermarkets, so this service provides healthy options at cheaper prices.”

The £60,000 funding will be used to expand the bag-a-bargain scheme by sprucing up local allotments and providing training for people to grow and sell their own organic food, reducing carbon footprint and encouraging local participation.

The Bag-a-Bargain scheme is supported by Green Apprentices and Together – the partnership to improve the lives of Tranmere and Rock Ferry residents.

Richard added: “I think that using locally grown produce is a great idea. Working on allotments can be really rewarding. It’s great physical exercise and a good feeling to trace your food from plot to plate.”