24/02/2023: Breckland Mobile Food Store back on the road

Breckland Council's Mobile Food Store is now back on the road and touring rural communities. The original bus suffered a breakdown in December, but an interim replacement vehicle has now been secured and will be touring rural Breckland communities, offering healthy, nutritious food and store cupboard staples at a reduced price.

The essential service not only provides food to selected rural communities, but it also provides friendly expert staff trained to offer wider support such as advice on debt management, isolation & loneliness and mental health, and will signpost customers to a range of services that can offer further help, where needed.

The relaunched service will be stopping in Swanton Morley, Bawdeswell, Shipdham, Carbrooke, Saham Toney, Ashill, Necton, Narborough, Weeting and East Harling. The timetable for the food bus can be found on the  The new service will be using community venues linked to the warm spaces hub, ensuring residents can not only receive their shopping, but also access a warm, safe space and can talk in confidence to staff.

The Breckland Mobile Food Store is funded by Breckland Council and Norfolk Community Foundation and run by local charity Kickstart Norfolk. This joint project forms part of Norfolk Community Foundation's Nourishing Norfolk Network, helping to establish a number of food hubs across the county, including the Breckland Mobile Food Store, to fight food insecurity.

Cllr Alison Webb, Executive Member for Health & Communities at Breckland Council commented: "Our partners, Kickstart in Dereham, and the Breckland Council Inspiring Communities team have been working incredibly hard to relaunch the Breckland Mobile Food Bus Service. Unfortunately, the mobile bus has recently been off the road due to some mechanical issues which will take some time to resolve. We are pleased to announce that we have an interim plan to get this essential service back on the road and visiting key villages in Breckland next week!"

"Not only will the interim service provide access to healthy and affordable food, but will also continue to offer support and advice to help tackle issues such as loneliness and mental health. We would like to thank our communities for helping us secure a space at each venue for these private conversations to continue to take place in the interim. We're bringing this service to the places where it's needed most in Breckland and will link in with the Warm Spaces hubs programme,  ensuring staff will be able to offer confidential advice in a warm, safe space. We hope people will make use of it - not just to buy food, but to get advice and guidance from the expert staff."

To use the Breckland Mobile Food Store residents will need to become a member. Membership requires a one-off payment of £3 per household and will be valid for the duration of the service. Membership applications can be completed on a first visit to the bus.