A £4,000 grant has been awarded to Dawlish Community Larder for improvements.

The cash grant was given by Dawlish Town Council to allow the larder, which has been running since 2020, to relocate.

The larder has been operating from an area upstairs in the town’s Hubstore.

But the grant was needed to be able to move to an area downstairs.

A spokesman for the larder explained this would off a

‘dignified shopping experience in an area that would be better signposted and ground floor accessible’.

The Community Larder has recently collaborated with the Trussell Trust and was in contact with other Teignbridge food banks THAT and HITS.

The spokesman added: ‘Having a local larder in Dawlish is vital to help reduce food miles.’

Councillors asked whether the organisers were confident that the grant money would fully fund the relocation, other funding from Devon County Council and when they were expecting the relocation to be complete.

The quote for the move was from a local company and it was anticipated the work would be completed by the end of March.

An application to Devon County Council had been approved but at a lower amount than had been initially applied for.

Town councillors agreed the larder is an important project to allow users of the larder to have the dignity of a shopping experience and it was exactly the kind of one off project that the community grant scheme should be used for to support families and more vulnerable members of the community during the cost of living crisis.

The larder helps people through referrals or self-referrals and works closely with schools and local agencies.

It also focusses on reducing food waste, turning surplus into a helping hand for those who need it.

Donations can be left at Co-Op, The Manor House, Hope Church, St. Gregory’s Church, the Methodist Church and The Hubstore.