Tamar Valley Pantry Volunteers Complete ‘Elf and Safety’ Training

Volunteers at Tamar Valley Pantry are ending the year on a cheerful note after completing their full round of ‘Elf and Safety’ training, just in time for Christmas.

Volunteers Celebrate Their Festive Milestone

The community shop team, made up of 36 volunteers, has been busy preparing for the season.

“We are always keen to go the extra mile to ’Elp our customers, and to ensure their continued good ’Elf,” said Friday morning volunteer Malcolm Rowe.

Malcolm added that the group has taken part in “extensive training in all aspects of ’Elf and Safety, as well as in food handling and in assisting Santa in stocking up with goods”. With the shop now six weeks old, he said the team is “getting to grips with everything we need to know to make it a happy Christmas for our customers”.

A New Community Asset After Post Office Closure

Tamar Valley Pantry opened in late October and has already seen strong support from the local community. The shop was created by seven committee members following the retirement of Adrian Parkes and Mandy Parkes, who ran the village post office for more than 25 years before closing in August last year.

“Adrian and Mandy were and are such important members of the community and their shop was a lifeline for the village,” said founding member Karen Bennett. “A group of us decided that we needed to do something to keep that important community asset going.

“The committee has spent many hours planning the shop and building relationships locally. It has been hard work but we all had fun along the way. We made new friends and learnt together. Our volunteers have been amazing and have gone the extra mile to make the shop a success. We could not have done it without them.

“The community has given us brilliant support so far and we look forward to a successful Christmas and to serving many more customers in the coming New Year.”

What the Shop Offers

Set up as a Community Benefit Society, the shop sits in the car park of Harrowbarrow and Metherell village hall on School Road. It opens Monday to Saturday, from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Shoppers will find a broad range of goods, including:

• Meat from Trehill Farm

• Cheeses from the Cornish Cheese Company

• Frozen pasties and ready meals from Helluva

• Bread, cakes, fruit, vegetables, newspapers and dried goods

There is also a coffee machine serving freshly brewed drinks and a seating area for anyone wanting to stop for a coffee and a chat.

With the festive season well under way, Tamar Valley Pantry’s newly trained volunteers are ready to welcome customers looking for local produce and a bit of Christmas cheer.

📷Tamar Valley Pantry elf volunteers: (L-R) Volunteers Phyl Gates, Malcolm Rowe, Michelle Turner, Chris Clarke, Lindsey Sharp, Gavin Short and Committee Member Karen Bennett (kneeling) get into the Christmas spirit at the Tamar Valley Pantry, Harrowbarrow and Metherell’s new community-run shop.