Sharon at the pilot scheme earlier this year

Healthy and affordable food campaigner Sharon Goodyer is set to open a ‘give a little, take a lot’ scheme in Newington.

The scheme, which opens at St Chritopher’s Church Hall on June 24, is an expansion of the project held at Radford House in Ramsgate in March.

For a donation- whatever a person can afford- people can take away three or four large carrier bags full of mixed fresh produce to feed their family.

Sharon, who was a head teacher for 26 years until she was forced to leave education in 2000 because of Parkinson’s disease, has launched a number of affordable food schemes on the isle – most notably the Summer Kitchen prior to covid, which provided  free meals, both eat in and takeaway, throughout the school holidays.

Sharon Goodyer has launched a new affordable food project Photo David Ian Harris

Sharon, 74, said: “I am happy to be at St Christopher’s again, where we had the Summer Kitchen, as it is right in the middle of the greatest need.

“We will open on June 24th and have nine pallets of fresh, seasonal produce delivered. We pay 10p per kilo rather than get it for free as this means we receive a greater variety that is better quality and has a longer shelf life.

“We just manage to cover this cost through the donations.

“Reverend Catherine particularly wanted us in that area as she felt they deserved it the most.”

Sharon has named the scheme ‘give a little take a lot’ after hearing it described as such by one person attending the project at Radford House.

She said: “We should all shop, cook, eat more veg and fruit. It is colourful and tasty. We use each week’s donations to buy the next week’s fruit and veg. We negotiate a wide variety of quality produce at the lowest price we can. By getting together to do this we help ourselves and each other.”

Sharon hopes that those who attend will once again share recipes and ideas.

The scheme will be open 10am-3pm on Wednesday Thursday and Friday each week

Please bring your own carrier bags.

Absolute Low Income families

Thanet district has the highest number and proportion of children living in absolute low income families in Kent (5,747, 22.6%) and the third highest proportion of children living in absolute low-income families in the South East.

Absolute low income is defined as a family in low income before housing costs. Kent Analytics data says in 2024/25 the average (median) household income before housing costs was £719.00 per week (around £37,400 per year). 60% of the median income equates to £431.00 per week (around £22,400 per year).

Just under a quarter (23.3%) of children living in absolute low-income families in Kent live in either Thanet or Swale.

The top two wards in Kent with the highest percentage of children aged under 16 living in absolute low-income families are Dane Valley (590 – 33.4%) and  Newington (468 – 32.1%).

Find more on the Local Meals Made With Love Facebook page by clicking here