‘Come to Oldham’ appeal to UK’s first social supermarket

OLDHAM’s Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Howard Sykes has written to the UK’s first “social supermarket” with an invite to open a branch in Oldham.

The Lib-Dem councillor sent a letter to Sarah Dunwell, director of community affairs at Company Shop, after it opened its second Community Shop outlet in south London last month.

The shop sells surplus food and drink to people on benefits for as little as 30 per cent of high street prices. The food is discarded by retailers because it is misshapen or has damaged packaging.

The first shop opened last year in Goldthorpe, near Barnsley, and a further 20 stores across the UK are in the pipeline.

Describing the Community Shop concept as “worthy and practical”, Councillor Sykes contacted Ms Dunwell because he believes Oldham has potential. He said: “There’s clearly a demand for it. It’s a good way of providing cost effective, healthy food to people on limited income. It’s something we should have.”