Meet Elisabeth Burleigh, volunteer at Trumpington Fairbite Food Club

When Elisabeth arrived in Cambridge four years ago, it was to be closer to her family, but she quickly found a new community to call her own. Now a familiar face at Trumpington Fairbite Food Club, Elisabeth brings her caring nature, attention to detail and warm personality to the team every Friday morning. 

We spoke with Elisabeth to find out more about her journey to Trumpington Fairbite Food Club and what keeps her coming back week after week. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to Cambridge?

We moved to Cambridge four years ago from Leicester, where we had lived for over 30 years. Our daughter and grandchildren are here, which is why we came. It was quite tough at the beginning as my husband carried on working part-time and I stopped when we moved, but being close to the grandchildren kept me going. Now, I love Cambridge. There are so many things going on, and of course it is lovely to have family nearby. 

Before I retired, I was a nurse; caring has always been part of what I do, and I suppose that has carried on into volunteering and other things I am involved with now. 

How did you first get involved with Trumpington Fairbite Food Club?

One of the first things we did when we moved to Cambridge was find a church. Then I saw an advert in the local parish magazine asking for volunteers. At the time, it was still operating more like a traditional Foodbank Welcome Centre. I went along one week to donate something and was inspired. I left feeling like it was something I could do locally, so I signed up. And that was it – that is when it all started! 

What does a typical volunteering session look like for you?

I volunteer on Friday mornings and am part of the early shift. We open at 11.30am, so I arrive beforehand to help set up. I am mostly based in the shop area. 

We have a big outdoor store area where we keep deliveries, and we often receive supermarket deliveries that morning as well. A big part of my role is getting the shelves sorted and making sure everything looks presentable and organised. The other volunteers laugh at me sometimes because I go around turning all the tins so you can see what they are, instead of just having a pile of soup tins! But I think it is really important that it feels like a proper shop for people who need to visit a food bank; it helps it to feel like a welcoming and respectful place. 

We also receive deliveries from FareShare, which redistributes surplus food from manufacturers and supermarkets. We pay for a certain number of trays and get a random selection of items. Part of my role is checking the best-before dates and working out what can go on the shelves and what should go on the free table. 

For someone who hasn’t visited a Fairbite Food Club before, what is the experience like?

We open at 11.30am, but people often start arriving from around 10am. When they come in, they get a ticket and pay for their membership – either a purple token for £5 membership or a red token for £3 membership, which gives them access to the shop. 

From 11.30am, people can sit down in the café area; it is set up like a community café. There are free hot drinks and homemade cakes which a couple very kindly bake for us every week and have done so for years. It’s lovely – people can sit, chat and wait for their number to be called. From 12pm, numbers are called in small groups. Before shopping, members can help themselves to surplus bread and cakes, and there is the free table with items that are close to their best-before date. 

In the shop itself, the shelves are divided into sections. For a £5 shop, members can choose: 

• Three items from the main cupboard section – tins, cereal, pasta, milk, jam etc.
• Four times from another essentials section
• Two items from the fridge or freezer – chicken, mince, cheese, eggs etc.
• One item from the higher value shelf – nappies, coffee, cleaning products 

If someone has a £3 token, they choose from the four and three sections. On top of that, everyone can have fresh vegetables. We get potatoes, onions and carrots every week, and usually broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower as well. Sometimes the local community garden donates produce too. 

It is very well structured, works well and gives people choice and dignity. 

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

The volunteers are all part of an amazing, friendly and supportive team. We have different roles, but together with our Co-ordinator, Patrick, we strive to provide a warm and welcoming environment for our members. Volunteering at Trumpington Fairbite Food Club has helped me get to know people in the community, both the volunteer team and the members. The team is great. Many of them are involved in other local activities too – it is a real community network. 

And, of course, it is simply a good thing to do. We are helping people who need help and that matters. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of volunteering?

We pick up our grandchildren after school once a week, which is very special. 

I am also involved in a couple of campaigning groups. One is focused on raising awareness of Fairtrade in the city. We are hoping to encourage more suppliers to use Fairtrade products and reconnect with efforts that previously made Cambridge a Fairtrade City. 

I’m also part of a group called Patients Not Passports, which campaigns against charging migrants in healthcare. We have recently produced a healthcare guide for migrants and refugees and are working to get it translated. It links back to my nursing background, and it is about making sure people aren’t afraid to access healthcare when they need it. 

And, I am also part of U3A – the University of the Third Age – which has been a lifesaver. There are hundreds of activities. Today, I did a craft class in the morning and dancing in the afternoon! 

Finally, what does volunteering mean to you?

It means putting faith into practice: doing something practical that supports people. When you start something small, you don’t always know where it will lead. But it is amazing to see how things grow when people come together. 

Volunteering at Fairbite Food Club has been part of that for me; being part of something that makes a real difference to the community.