The Custom House Community Bookshop acts a key point of contact for the residents of Custom House.

By Thelma Odoi

There were queues outside the Custom House Community Bookshop this Christmas as Denise Evans-Barr and her team fed the community, literally.

This time of year is a time when friends and family come together around the dinner table to celebrate. However it was no news that for many who celebrated, Christmas was hard this year. With the cost of living crisis and weekly bills going up, hardships have been visible.

Denise accepted donations from the Felix Project on days which are usually spent as holiday. The food included milk, yogurts, rice pudding, bread, chicken, roast beef, cheese, potatoes, eggs, pineapples, crispy potato slices, tomatoes in packs and on the vine, parsnips, grapes, mushrooms, bananas, oranges, oat milk, tomato and mozzarella pasta meals, sausage pasta meals and lots of fresh vegetables.

The Custom House Community Bookshop became a food bank that fed 74 families on 24 December and more than 100 families on 27 December. Whatever was left over was distributed to neighbours in the local area as well as through a local church.

People were able to come in and pick whatever food they wanted at no cost. Denise and her team also ran an incredible Santa’s grotto, where she dressed up as Mrs Clause, giving out more than 90 presents.

In the last third of the year the bookshop organised and carried out 55 activities providing support for around 740 people. It’s a programme of support they plan to continue throughout the coming year.

Looking to 2024 and beyond, the Custom House Community Bookshop runs various community activities:

Tuesday mornings 10 am -11.30 am Childminders stop and play activities.
Wednesday 10 am – 12 pm Cuppa and Chat open to all.
Thursday 10 am – 11.30am Family stay and play activities.
Alternative Saturdays 11am – 1pm Family arts & crafts activities.

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