A pioneering Angus project has revealed the stats behind its soaraway success since being set up to help free pandemic families from food poverty.
S-Mart became the first social supermarket in the county when it opened on Forfar’s West High Street in 2020.
It emerged from local organisation Community First UK’s commitment to tackle food poverty and food waste by creating the social supermarket as an alternative to foodbanks and mainstream supermarkets.
Since then its reach and range of activities has broadened way beyond the expectations of its founders.
And S-Mart has saved more than 300 tons of food from heading to landfill – equivalent to the weight of a Boeing 747 jumbo.
It equates to 730,000 meals – and millions of pounds worth of savings.
CEO Pauline Lockhart says the incredible statistics show the positive impact the charity is having on both the community and environment.
“The social supermarket provides access to affordable food in a dignified environment taking away any stigma or identification of anyone’s personal circumstances,” she said.
“By providing affordable food, an improved diet with the ability to afford healthier choices to families has resulted in long term benefits on physical, mental and health and wellbeing.”
And she says S-Mart has seen significantly reduced stresses associated with food insecurity.
“During the first full lockdown, we had to quickly adapt our plans of opening the social supermarket and instead introduced the S-Mart grocery pack initiative,” Pauline added.
It delivered 35,991 meals.
Range of provision
Contact with the community shaped a comprehensive plan for the future.
S-Mart even bounced back from a unexpected soaking when their premises was flooded just days after a visit by the Earl and Countess of Forfar in 2021.
It has since grown to deliver a range of other services and opportunities at West High Street.
Those include:
- A second-hand retail space tackling Fast Fashion
- Affordable shared retail space for local SMEs
- Community space
- Community café
- Outdoor town garden
- Outdoor training space.
Pauline added: “Through the feedback gathered during and after the first lockdown we also aimed to provide other support and services to our communities.”
It has seen the organisation successfully deliver:
- Work placements
- Money management support
- Healthy eating initiatives including cooking classes
- Employment training
- Support networks
- Retail and customer services training.
Huge saving for local families
“Fast forward to 2023 and we have achieved all of our aims and so much more,” Pauline added.
She said the report looking back over the period since the doors opened had revealed the staggering statistics of food waste savings and community support.
“Because the goods we sell in our store can be discounted by anything up to 50%, our members individually, over the three years, have saved themselves on average £1,800 on their shopping.
“It leaves much-needed cash for other bills and costs.
“If we consider this based on our overall membership, collectively that is just over £3.5 million saved in one community.
“This is something that we are astounded by and are incredibly proud of being able to have done for our members and our community, particularly during some of the most difficult challenges we as a nation have had to navigate.
“We believe this is now a tried and tested model that has, without doubt, proven that it works.
“We hope to roll the model out to other towns and cities so that other communities can benefit from the support that Community First and S-Mart can provide.”
To find out more or donate to the organisation, visit www.s-martscot.com/.
Conversation