A SCHOOL is due to open a grocery store to help struggling parents do the weekly shopping for just £3.

Families will be able to pick up bags of food from the store inSwansea, South Wales and pay as much as they can afford.

The grocery store is based in two shipping containers at the 300-pupil Clase Primary School.

Students will also be growing their own food which will be sold to the shop.

The scheme has been called Big Bocs Bwyd which is Welsh for "Big Food Box".

Daniel Jones, who is a curriculum lead at the school, said: “Sometimes there is a stigma attached to food share and food banks but it’s a way parents and families can pay what they feel for it.

“We have provision to have frozen and chilled food. We have two large fridges and freezers, along with pasta, cereals and fresh fruit and vegetables.

"We will have suggested items per bag and we are suggesting £3 as a nominated fee.

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“It’s so people feel comfortable. Some will want to pay more."

The project has received £20,000 from the Waterloo Foundation – a charity focussed on sustainability and primary education.

Daniel added: “We had to go through hoops that we had planning and that we made sure we had the correct contractors in.

"We had funding in April and we had two shipping containers in August, which are being converted into a shop space.

“We have managed to tap into another £15,000 of funding and landscape around the area of shipping containers too.

"We will have a patio, table and chairs to make it accessible for the community – the idea is that it is a food share.”

The scheme has been set-up by the Welsh Government in partnership with FareShare Cymru – which aims to deal with food waste and help families.

Daniel added: "We have seen during the pandemic that people needed access to food as they worked in sectors that were badly hit.”

The shop is set to open at the school on January 12.

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