For more than two years, the Chard Lord’s Larder has continued to see an increase in the number of requests for help and a decrease in the donations received and continue to have to buy in stock to enable us to help all our clients. In 2025, this resulted in an excess spend of £6,000 over financial donations. This continues in 2026, so we continually need more donations to bolster our depleted stocks.

If you have any spare items in cupboards or could pick up an extra item or two whenever you shop and donate them it would be greatly appreciated. All items are welcome, but the key items that we would like to receive are:

1. Tins of meat-based products

2. Tins of fish

3. Baked beans/tinned spaghetti

4. Tins of other vegetables

5. Chopped tomatoes

6. Soups

7. Pasta & pasta sauces

8. Rice

9. Cereals

10. Vegetarian/vegan products

11. Toiletries (particularly deodorants, shampoo and toothpaste)

Please leave any donations in the box at the back of the churches in Chard or Ilminster or pass them to Maggie in the Parish Office.

Help is needed tp serve Tea & Coffee after Mass on Sundays. A number of our volunteers have had to step down due to health or age and we are looking for some mew volunteers to spread the load. You would be required to set up mugs and turn the urn on before mass. Serve tea & Coffee after Mass for approx 30 mins and wash up.

Even if you can only do one or two sundays a year this would help. Please add your name to the list on the serving hatch. It would be a shame not to be able to offer this chance for us to chat after Mass