A project in Dereham which offers nutritious food at a reduced cost has won a prestigious award.

The Food Cabin is based at the town's Wellspring Family Centre in Neatherd Road and opened in November 2023.

It now helps about 200 families in Dereham and the surrounding area.

The Food Cabin won the 2024 Nourishing Norfolk Award for the Food Hub Building Pathways for Help.

Dereham Times: Jayne Olley and Toby Rouse at the Dereham Food Cabin

Co-ordinator Jayne Olley said: "The Food Cabin is rather special, where love and dignity are front and centre in all we do.

"We as a team understand the needs of our individual members as we have spent time building relationships."

Mrs Olley added: "It's a place where there is much laughter sometimes tears and often prayer. A good friend once told me that people need to laugh together before they feel comfortable crying together. We have found this to be so true. 

"We received this award for the wrap around support we offer our members and their families. This includes helping people find homes, helping source and deliver furniture and white goods, being a listening ear when needed and hopping on a train to Great Ormond Street Hospital to support a family."

Mrs Olley said: "We are also great advocates in regard the other projects running in and around Dereham, sign posting families for specialised help when needed. We work closely with Christians Against Poverty and have seen many of our members fully engage with the debt management programme.

"Period poverty is a big issue and we have managed to partner with Hey Girls enabling us to provide free period products, this as you can imagine has made a tremendous difference to many."

The Food Cabin is open Tuesday 9 -11.30am (term time only), Wednesday 10am-noon and Friday 5-7pm.