Diamond Hampers was initially set up to address a huge dignity gap across the community and to develop something that hadn’t been done before.
We wanted to be the hands up that people needed in crisis, not the hand out.
Our aim was to provide empowerment, not enablement.
We put together a hamper of balanced food, which was a new initiative and unlike the standard food parcel you may expect to receive from a food aid provider.
Along with tinned and dried goods, we provided and still do - a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen and refrigerated items.
We deliver these emergency food hampers seven days a week across the entire District and beyond.
During the pandemic of Covid-19 – we delivered an incredible 125,000 meals to vulnerable families and individuals, we carried out hundreds of grocery shops and collected countless prescriptions to those that could not leave their homes. We still do some of this now for those most vulnerable individuals.
When working to offer support with each person that is referred to us, we work with and for them to make referrals to external agencies in order to build and develop longer term solutions that will see them no longer requiring emergency intervention.
We developed two stores which have been running for 3 years, providing access to affordable food, clothing and other essential homeware and hygiene products.
It allows people the opportunity to shop both independently and affordably. Bridging dignity gaps all across the wider community and allowing the freedom of choice.
In our Pantry store, we offer a fill a basket deal for just £4 and this can be filled up of fruits, vegetables and many other items including cereals, pasta and cakes.
In our Attic store, we offer clothing at affordable prices, with the majority being just £1 and offer to loan out suits/interview wear to help people access paid employment.
Alongside this, we offer school uniform at just £1 a piece or for free to families faced with extreme crisis.
We support families with their children attending the Guiding Association groups by providing books, uniform and financial support to attend sessions that will allow their children a chance to get more involved within the community, improve their social skills and their mental health and well-being.
In addition to all of this, we redirect large volumes of food waste, 7 days a week, all month and year long.
We redirect anywhere from between 10 tonnes to 25 tonnes of food every month.
This is food that would ordinarily be sent to landfill.
Instead we collect it from many local supermarkets and businesses and make it available through our Pantry store and food hampers.
We have a system set up with the County Council and we support all their young people leaving care for the first time. We provide them with what is called a “moving on box”. These are filled with essential household appliances and dinnerware etc. It enables them the chance to get set up in their new homes and feel better supported and settled.
It has proven to reduce how many young people are committing crimes in order to gain the belongings they need.
Our efforts are for many more too and we supply similar packages to families being rehomed due to an emergency situations. For instance a domestic abuse case.
Our support extends over international borders too and we became the main support hub for sending supplies to Ukraine during the dreadful war. We filled two entire lorry containers with food, medical supplies, clothing and much more.
We then continued that work here in the UK, supporting refuges with starting their new lives here and giving them the best possible chance at a much better life.
Some other services we offer are:
- Our bike scheme, where qualified members of our team, service bikes for us to gift to families in need and to sell in our store to raise vital funds and in the comfort that the bikes we are selling are safe.
- PAT testing service, 3 members of our team are qualified PAT testers and this means we can safety check all electrical appliances that can go out to our vulnerable families and in our store to raise vital funds. We also offer this service to churches and local businesses at a very affordable rate.
- Our fishing team was set up to bring people together to improve the mental health and well-being of many and often is used to set up competitions to raise funds for DH.
- Our new boxing initiative is on hold at the moment but we are working on that one!
- Provide toys and gifts to low income families for birthdays and Christmas.
Let me share our video of the impact we had in Christmas 2022.
Now ,let me just share some of the figures that we have achieved in just 3.5 years.
- 425,000 meals to vulnerable people
- 670,000kg of co2 saved from entering our atmosphere
- Over £100,000 raised through fundraising events etc
- £530,000 worth of food stopped from rotting in landfill
- A further 670,000 meals generated from redirected waste alone and provided through our Pantry.
- Over 1,000 families moved away form crisis and now sustainable.
Let me share some of the awards and accolades we have been blessed with during our time in operation. They include:
- The High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire Award
- Community Business of the Year – silver at the Regional Awards
- Lockdown Leader – gold at the Regional Awards
- Business Hero – National Business Awards
- Lockdown Leader – National Business awards
- Coronation Champion 2023
- Invited to Westminster Abbey for carol service
- Invited to Buckingham Palace
- Letter from the Queen and The Lord Lieutenant
This is just a keyhole view of the work we do within Diamond Hampers and we are always looking at new ways to support our communities.
We are in fact for the people and the planet.
For the community, not for profit.