A BBC report has shed light on an Oldham food hub’s fight to combat the cost-of-living crisis the borough’s residents face amid soaring food prices and energy bills.

The Sholver food hub, run by The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) charity in partnership with First Choice Homes Oldham, featured on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme last week.

At the food hub FCHO residents can pick up weekly food bags at a discounted rate. The bags are made up of surplus food largely from the UK supply chain and not from supermarket waste.

The hub strives to increase the amount of disposable income in FCHO tenants’ pockets, so they are not forced to choose between buying food, paying bills, or buying other basics.

In the programme aired on January,5 BBC reporter Jay Unger visited the food hub and met a mum-of-four from Oldham, referred to only as Carla, who is an FCHO resident relying on Universal Credit and uses the TBBT service.

She said: “I was spending about £80 a week but now I don’t spend anywhere near as much. I can really notice a difference.”

Carla’s school aged children are also eligible for free school meals which she says, “helps loads”.

The TBBT charity delivers around 100 tonnes of food a week across the North of England and has around 20,000 registered members.

Other locations of Oldham food hubs include Wallshaw Street Community Centre, Bethesda Church, in Royton, ROC ‘n’ Rolls Community Cafe in Holts and NEON in Greenacres.

Commenting on the food hubs, Kelly Webb, operations director for customer services at FCHO said: “We know that the effects of the pandemic, rising food prices and energy bills, along with changes such as the end of the £20 Universal Credit uplift have all impacted on our customers’ finances.

“Access to affordable food is crucial and our partnership with The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) is more important than ever.”