WITHIN hours of opening Haslemere Community Store, more than 30 people received food – during the opening day it also received 200 donations of food and other household items.

The store is a community-led initiative and fully run by volunteers for the benefit of residents of Haslemere and the surrounding villages.

Sahran Abeysundara of Silk Road interiors and flooring outlet in Weyhell Road said: “At the start of lockdown local residents helped set up Haslemere Help.

“This was to help people self-isolating with shopping and picking up prescriptions from chemists and surgeries.

“Volunteers also manned a dedicated phone help line answering calls from residents and an army of volunteers helped provide this valuable service for our town.

“But as lockdown continued, more and more people were becoming unable to provide food to feed their families.

“And it soon became very obvious we needed to do more – we needed to provide a free food store.”

The volunteers set up shop in Haslemere Hall, and Haslemere Town Council donated a fridge.

Sahran said: “We are grateful Haslemere Hall has been given free of charge to use, and the council has been extremely supportive, and also bought us fridge.

“We are also very grateful for the generosity of the residents of Haslemere for volunteering to run this project and donate money and food to stock the store.

“You do not need to be referred to use the community store and all the produce is available free of charge – just pick up what you need.

“To receive food and household items from the store, all you need to do is book an appointment.”

The Haslemere Community store is open Monday and Thursday in the Haslemere Hall on Bridge Road, GU27 2AS.

To book an appointment to receive food and household items contact 07873 383954 or email [email protected]

A food donation point has been set up at the Apple Tree Pub on Lion Green at the bottom of Lion Lane.

There is also a donation point in Marley Flowers on the High Street.

If you would prefer to make a financial donation, The Haslemere Penny Ha’Penny Trust are collecting money on their behalf .

The account number is 23175568, sort code 30 99 08, and please mark any donations ‘Community Store.’

For more information about Haslemere Community Food Store, visit the website at www.haslemeretc.org/haslemere-community-store.html