Community shop attracts 200 in first six months

Wolverhampton residents have been able to register to use the service for an annual price of £3 in order to buy food at lower prices

More than 200 people have registered for a Wolverhampton community shop in its first six months.

The Central Community Shop and a social enterprise cafe were set up at the Queen's Building in the city centre.

Residents have paid an annual membership fee of £3 to register for the store, which offers food at affordable prices.

Fresh produce grown by people taking part in a Wolves Foundation project at their allotment has been donated to the shop.

The Premier League club's official charity, the Good Shepherd charity and the council teamed up to create the shop, which is the flagship location of a network in the city.

It has been supported by other organisations, including Wolves at Work, a service offering support for people looking for work or to progress in their careers. It is distributing vouchers to its service users for the store, instead of bigger supermarkets.

All proceeds from the cafe are invested back into the Good Shepherd's free-to-access food and support services and other charitable activities.

The cafe has been operating in the building thanks to funding from charity SJOG Hospitaller Services.

Wolves Foundation's support for Queen’s is part of its Supporting Our Pack campaign - assistance to help people through "the cost-of-living and other challenges affecting their daily lives".

The fresh produce has been grown by participants in the charity's Head 4 Health project, for adults wanting to improve their wellbeing.