A NEW bus service will provide door-to-door transport for people using Glasgow’s food pantries.
The Scottish Pantry Network has teamed up with Community Transport Glasgow and the city council to improve access to pantries in Ruchazie, Parkhead, Govan and the north west of the city.
Food pantries offer good food at a low cost under a community membership model, with items not individually priced.
Customers pay a £2.50 membership each time and can pick up £15 worth of food.
READ MORE: Ruchazie Food Pantry: The initiative feeding thousands and boosting community spirit
Glasgow councillor Mandy Morgan is chair of the Scottish Pantry Network and has worked with Fareshare, a charity which redistributes surplus supermarket food, to develop the pantries.
A pilot bus service has been running in her ward, the North East, since October, taking customers to Ruchazie.
It has now been expanded, with funding from Glasgow City Council, to support all the pantries in the city.
Ms Morgan said the new routes, along with a delivery service, make the pantries “all inclusive”. She added the pilot scheme in Ruchazie has “made a huge difference”.
“Public transport, particularly for Ruchazie, is not great,” the councillor said. “We’ve got people from Easterhouse who can’t get down.
“With the bus, we’ve had people coming from as far away as Barlornock.”
She said although Parkhead is on the main bus route, the new service will help people with mobility issues get to the pantries.
The expanded service “will mean the whole of the East End should be able to access Ruchazie and Parkhead”, Ms Morgan added. “We’ve got a small-scale delivery service too, mostly for people who are shielding and housebound.”
Services will be running in Parkhead and Govan this week, with details still to be finalised in the north west.
The buses need to be booked at least 24 hours in advance due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anyone who wants to find out more about the service can contact the pantries directly or speak to Community Transport Glasgow on 0141 778 2402.
Community Transport Glasgow, a registered charity, aims to increase the transport options available to communities across the city. The buses provided will be electric.
The Parkhead pantry is on Westmuir Street while the Govan shop is on Govan Road. In Ruchazie, the pantry can be found on Gartloch Road and the north west facility is on Dumbarton Road.
There are plans to open two more pantries in Castlemilk and Wester Common this year.
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