The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd. (DCFA) is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered Company No. 07419679. Registered Charity No. - DCFA is recognised by HMRC as a Charity for tax purposes under Reference XT27083. Members of : NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) – Membership No. MEMBERVC/13004, PTSC (The Plymouth Third Sector Consortium), The Small Charities Coalition, And Volunteering England – Membership No.1278747.

Our Funder:

… And Voluntary Donations.

The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd (DCFA)

NEWSLETTER April - May 2011

Spare Food is Share Food!

7 Whimple Street, Plymouth, Devon PL1 2DH Mobile: 07745819828 (text only) Email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk Website: http://dcfa.webs.com

FOREWORD BY THE CHAIR

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Yes! We did start trading on Wednesday, 23rd

February 2011 with short-date milk and about ten local organisations have signed up to receive this. Teething problems are being resolved and with our Volunteers overseeing this, we’re pleased to report that all seems to be going well!

In March 2011 we spread our wings and held an external meeting at Exeter with the purpose of setting-up a hub there and with the intention of Exeter Working Group working alongside DCFA in Plymouth. A further meeting has been arranged.

Another external meeting was held on Tuesday, 12th

April 2011, this time in Truro. Again, a further meeting will be held to take this project forward in Cornwall.

None of this could be achieved, without the hard work of our Trustees and Co-opted Members to our Board most of whom are able to give their professional advice.

We’re desperately in need of funding to enable us to have our own permanent premises from which we can receive and issue food produce. If anyone or any organisation can help us with a monetary donation, then of course this would be warmly welcomed. The sooner we have our own storage, the sooner we can expand our enterprise by supplying more food produce.

Recently, I was fortunate to be invited to attend an Awards Ceremony at the Holiday Inn in Plymouth for the Drake Foundation Spirit of Community Awards. I was accompanied by Esme GOSS, our Milk Volunteer Coordinator. Whilst DCFA didn’t win any of the major awards we were pleasantly surprised and honoured to receive a Certificate of Significant Achievement.

Thank you all for your support and have a Happy Easter!

Christine Christine REID Chair DCFA Board of Trustees

EDITORIAL COMMENT NTERNET Links. If you’re reading this on-line and come across words with blue lettering that are underlined, then

you can click on these links and be taken directly to another site for more information on that particular topic. Put your cursor over the link, hold down the Control (Ctrl) Key and click! Ed.

DCFA NEWS UNDRAISER. This is a time-consuming occupation but a very important one for us. We are looking for someone

who has experience in this field of expertise to help us in a voluntary capacity. Interested? Please contact Geoff (details at the top of the page).

AKING LOCAL FOOD WORK. Mary CONWAY and Geoff READ attended a Training Day at the Halcyon

Neighbourhood Centre in Plymouth on Thursday, 17th

March 2011. The theme of the day was How to Set Up a Buying Group in Your Community. This was a very informative and enlightening day, and both managed to undertake more networking!

DCFA MEETINGS PRIL 2011. Our April 2011 Meeting was an external Introductory Meeting to Cornwall and was held at

11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 12th

April 2011 at Diocesan House,

Kenwyn, Truro. We should like to thank the Truro Diocese for their generous hospitality.

AY 2011. The next DCFA Board Meeting will take place at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 3

rd May 2011 in the

Theatre Royal. If you have anything you wish the Board to discuss then do please contact Geoff.

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UTURE MEETINGS. All meetings are scheduled to start at 10.30 a.m. but are subject to change at short notice.

Tuesday, 7

th June 2011

- General Board Meeting (Plymouth Catherine Street Baptist Church) Tuesday, 5

th July 2011

- General Board Meeting (Plymouth Catherine Street Baptist Church) Tuesday, 2

nd August 2011

- General Board Meeting (Plymouth Catherine Street Baptist Church) Tuesday, 6

th September 2011

- General Board Meeting (Plymouth Catherine Street Baptist Church) Tuesday, 8

th November 2011

- Annual General Meeting (Plymouth Catherine Street Baptist Church) Tuesday, 6

th December 2011

- General Board Meeting (Plymouth Catherine Street Baptist Church)

NNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2011. Our AGM will be held on Tuesday, 8

th November 2011 and we’re already

looking for one or two Guest Speakers. Can you help or do you know someone that can? Please contact Geoff (details at the top of Page 1).

WOULD YOUR ORGANISATION BENEFIT

FROM A TALK & POWERPOINT PRESENTATION?

Are you a school, a charity, a faith group or some other organisation needing to

know more about DCFA? We will come to you and five a brief talk and PowerPoint Presentation to tell you

about our work. Just contact Geoff...

contact details at the top of Page 1.

Book now!

A WORD FROM WENDY CHAPMAN A DCFA Trustee

HEN I was invited to write a few words for this Newsletter, anyone who knows me well will tell you

that I was somewhat overwhelmed and tinged with a hint of trepidation. To see my words in print is scary! However I am nevertheless thrilled to be asked to do so.

I became involved with DCFA as soon as the word was out that a meeting was going to be held to discuss what could be done with spare food which had nothing wrong with it and was destined to be thrown away. When I was asked if I had views or ideas on how best to use this food and milk, you can probably guess my response. Well... as Project Manager of the Shekinah Mission Drop-in Centre of course I had... and Wow! What an opportunity! And now I’m a Trustee of DCFA too.

Let me fill you in on a little about myself. My name is Wendy CHAPMAN and I’m the Project Manager for the Shekinah Mission Drop-in Centre in Plymouth. I’ve been involved with Shekinah since its inception and opening in December 1992. This came about after four years of dedicated prayer by a small group of us. Our excitement was hard to contain as we saw God’s plan unfolding; from a place in Bath Street... to the provision of food... volunteer’s... staff... finances... and so the list grows and grows and is still growing! He blessed us with a new building and our prayers are still being answered.

I’m married to Gary and have two grown-up daughters, Lisa and Kelly who’ve both blessed us with grandchildren Lennon (aged three) and Darcy (aged three months). They take up a lot of my spare time. Spare time? What’s that?

Gary and I worship at St. Paul’s Church in Stonehouse, and for my part I’m an active member of the PCC. During my rest time or quiet times, I like going for walks, reading and swimming... these are at the top of my list! However, I’ve never mastered all three at the same time yet!

DCFA is just starting to show signs of what could realistically be achieved, by providing struggling charitable organisations whose finances are severely overstretched, with free and wholesome food so enabling needy and vulnerable people to access good, healthy balanced diets.

Finally, readers, wherever and whomsoever you are, we do need your support! For more information on this, especially if you feel you can help in anyway, do please contact Christine REID (Chair) or Geoff READ (Company Secretary). The Contact details are at the top of Page 1.

God Bless!

Wendy Chapman

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FRESH MILK n Update. You’ll be aware that DCFA commenced trading in mid-February albeit in a very small way.

DCFA is currently accepting deliveries of short-date fresh milk from Wisemans Dairies every Wednesday morning at the Salvation Army Congress Hall. The following organisations in the Plymouth area are currently registered:

About Time Age Concern

Amber Initiatives Befriending Consortium DCRS

(Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support) Elder Tree Visiting & Befriending Service FROST

(Friends & Residents of Sutton Trust) Gilead Foundations Charity Oasis Centre

Plymouth FoodBank Plymouth MIND

(Oasis Wellbeing & Mental Health Support

Centre) Plymouth Refuge (Plymouth Domestic Abuse Service)

Salvation Army: Congress Hall Devonport Morice Town

Open Door Cafe Shekinah Mission We should like to say a big Thank You to Ms. Esme GOSS who, together with her Team of Milk Volunteers rise early to organise the whole process and record the issues. Esme has been ably assisted by Mr. George TRICKER and Mr. Ron SANDFORD. We thank them all very much for their time and efforts! Since we started trading we have issued 2,734 litres of good quality milk. At (say) 60 pence a litre this represents an overall saving to our Receiving Organisations of £1,640.40 so far. Not a bad start we think!

DCFA NEEDS ITS OWN PREMISES! ELP Please! DCFA could do oh... so much more if only it had its own premises in a central area of Plymouth!

Do you know of somewhere... an empty warehouse or shop that we could utilise? DCFA could then start accepting the food produce that local producers have promised to supply us!

DCFA FUNDRAISING CFA was fortunate to receive a small monetary award from the Church Urban Fund to set us up and to get us

going. We now desperately need people who have experience in fundraising to help us submit our bidding applications to kick start us into getting our own premises, our own equipment and to provide cash for our running costs. Can you help us? Do please get in touch!

OTHER NEWS

OMMUNITY Alive Falmouth 2011

Date: Saturday, 21st May 2011 Time: 10 a.m. – 16 p.m. Place: The Moor Falmouth & Falmouth Methodist Church Entry: Free Organiser: Community Alive Falmouth Team Contact: Lorely (01326) 317587 Links: energy, networking, falmouth, community

Saturday, 21st May 2011 sees the second annual community

Networking event held on The Moor, Falmouth Methodist Church and other venues to celebrate all that Falmouth has to offer. This year we are dedicating the event to Energy issues... from Anaerobic Digesters to Befriending Schemes, from Electric Cars to Dance Groups, etc. Whether energy for power, inspiration or support we wish to celebrate what Falmouth has to offer from organisations, businesses and individuals. We are hoping that you may be interested in joining us to promote your activities and make partnerships.

VYBRIDGE Comings & Goings.

Barn Dance at EST Ivybridge, Saturday, 14th

May at 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. Live Band and Caller, Bar and Hog Roast. Tickets priced at £6 and must be purchased in advance. Please telephone the Centre on (01752) 690 200 for further information. Donkey Summer Fair at EST Ivybridge, Saturday, 18

th June

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Demonstrations, Games & Stalls, Inflatables, BBQ, Donkey Carriage rides and much, much more! Fun Family Dog Show from 2 p.m. Free entry and parking. For more information, please call the centre on (01752) 690 200. Car Boot Sales at EST Ivybridge on:

Sunday, 26th June,

Sunday, 24th July,

Sunday, 21st August, and

Sunday, 25th September.

The timings have yet to be confirmed!

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LYMOUTH HEROES ARE HONOURED at Glittering Gold Star Awards. This article was published in the Plymouth

Herald on Wednesday, 9th

March 2010: PLYMOUTH’S unsung heroes and heroines have been recognised and celebrated at an emotional awards ceremony. Winners of The Herald & First Devon and Cornwall’s Gold Star awards enjoyed the limelight as they were honoured at a dinner at The Duke of Cornwall Hotel recently.

The ceremony, attended by the Lord Mayor Councillor Mary ASPINALL and Lady Mayoress Kate ASPINALL, highlighted the actions of a range of individuals who were presented with an engraved glass trophy.

These included a brave ambulance worker, an 81-year-old fundraiser who helped form the Plymouth branch of RNLI, three carers and a woman who rallied around to ensure a mother-and-son had the trip of a lifetime after a tragic year. Others included a volunteer who dedicated his free time to Welcome Hall, a man who strives to help refugees despite suffering illness himself and a dynamic duo of women who bought the community together to aid a family devastated by a fire.

Bill MARTIN, editor of The Plymouth Herald, said: “We take great pride in recognising those who go the extra mile for others; those who cope admirably with adversity and those who set an example to their peers through their selfless actions.

For the fuller version of this article, please visit: http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Plymouth-heroes-honoured-glittering-Gold-Star-awards/article-3309470-detail/article.html

Photograph courtesy of Christine REID, enhanced by Kanda P.

Geoffrey N. READ and the Gold Star Award! Tuesday, 8

th March 2011

"I work as part of a Team and so I’ll accept it on behalf of that Team."

THIS SPACE COULD HAVE BEEN USED

TO PLACE YOUR NOTICE!

Why not contact the Editor?

DO YOU WISH TO BECOME A FRIEND OF DCFA?

Go on-line, download the

Application Form, complete the details and submit it to Geoff.

DO YOU WISH TO VOLUNTEER WITH DCFA?

Go on-line, download the Application Form, complete the details and submit it to Geoff..

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jjooiinn uuss!!