Here are just some of the shops, volunteers and community groups who can help you in the town.
Local Volunteer Networks
The Bury Baby Bank Hub is offering a new delivery service to help new and expecting mothers in need. With pregnant women advised to self-isolate, getting hold of certain essential items has become much more difficult for many households. From baby formula to nappies, the team at Bury Baby Bank Hub are delivering vital items to new and expecting mothers. Katrina Rose runs the hub, and can be contacted on 07584563696. For those wishing to make a donation, please contact the same number.
Based outside of Bury St Edmunds, the Elmswell Virus Support group is providing a vital service to those living in and around the village. A team of volunteers are working to deliver prescriptions and other essential items to vulnerable and isolated people. You can get in touch with the group through the Elmswell Virus Support Group on Facebook, or by emailing Rachael Stratton via rachaelstratton@live.co.uk
Gatehouse Foodbank and Home Store has responded to the coronavirus crisis by finding new ways to help those in need. Since the beginning of lockdown, the Gatehouse team have provided over 300 emergency food parcels, as well as providing emergency furniture to 14 clients who have been recently rehoused for safety reasons. Gatehouse is working closely with other charities and groups in the town to develop new initiatives to help support the Bury St Edmunds community. For more information about Gatehouse’s services, call 01284 754967.
Pubs and restaurants
Maria Broadbent, owner of Casa restaurant in Risbygate Street has launched a new delivery scheme for those who are self-isolating at home. For just £8 a day, Maria is delivering a two-course hot lunch to vulnerable people, and the restaurant team has also recently launched an afternoon tea takeaway for anyone who is missing their fix of something sweet. Along with this delivery service, Maria has also been dropping off free meals for frontline NHS workers at West Suffolk Hospital. To place an order or to find out more, please call 01284 701313.
Craving a good, traditional Sunday Roast? Look no further than The Tavern’s Sunday Roast collection service – think quality meat, fluffy Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings. The team is also running a full takeaway menu, which you can find on their website: www.tavernbse.co.uk. To place an order, please call 01284 769888.
The Chestnut Group, which runs The Northgate in Bury St Edmunds, has been providing free hot meals for frontline NHS staff with its Giving Tree initiative. Thanks to the generosity and goodwill of the local community, the group has managed to provide 10,000 free meals to NHS and care workers, as well as many more hot lunches for vulnerable citizens. To find out more, visit www.chestnutgroup.co.uk/giving-tree
Thomas Ridley Food Service is covering a Click & Collect service, 7 days a week. There is no minimum order, and same day delivery slots are available. So, if you can’t find what you are looking for in the supermarket or can’t get a delivery slot to suit you, Thomas Ridley can get vital store cupboard essentials to your door. Visit www.thomasridley.co.uk to place an order.
The Daily Grind is a family run market stall that has been trading for over twenty years in Bury St. Edmunds. You’d normally find the stall trading on Wednesdays and Saturdays near HSBC in the Buttermarket, but during the Covid-19 lockdown, the team is now offering local deliveries with a minimum spend of £10. Deliveries are free of charge to the following postcodes: IP14, IP24, IP27, IP28, IP29, IP30, IP31, IP32, IP33. The team offers a wide variety of loose leaf teas and flavoured coffee beans, and you can request a price list or place orders over the phone on 07775764597. You can find The Daily Grind at www.thedailygrindbse.co.uk or on Facebook/Instagram: @thedailygrindbse.
Churches
While church services have been cancelled for the time being, St Mary’s Church is offering daily prayer livestreams via its website, taking place at 9.30am each morning. St Mary’s Staff are also offering pastoral support from their respective home offices, and can be contacted on 07561 334695.
Westgate Chapel is also keeping its community connected at this time. Members meet online every Sunday at 10.30am, and there is also a ‘Christianity Explored’ session held on Zoom on Tuesdays at 8pm. More information can be found on the website: www.westgatechapel.org.uk
Transport Links
Several Mulleys bus routes have been suspended at this time. Suspended services include bus numbers: 355, 955, 956, 988, M11, M22, M33, M44, M55, M77, M88. For a continuously updated list of transport links, please visit the Suffolk on Board website: www.suffolkonboard.com. Bury Travel Taxi Services is also operating throughout the area at this critical time. To book a taxi, call 01284 771520.
Local Shops
Beautiful Beers have reduced their threshold for free delivery to just £30 at this time, so if you’re missing your favourite tipple, now is the time to stock up. If you live within 10 miles of the shop, minimum spend for free delivery is just £15. If your order comes through before 2pm, you can receive your goods the same day if you live within the Bury St. Edmunds area. For more information, or to place an order, visit www.beautifulbeers.co.uk.
Sustainable shop Clear to Sea is open from 10am – 2pm every day except from Thursdays and Sundays. The shop sells loose dry goods with no plastic packaging, such as pasta, cereals, grains, nuts and flour, along with other household essentials. Visit the Clear to Sea Facebook page for more information.
Auntie Pam’s - Bury St. Edmund’s only independent sweet shop – has launched an online store, delivering sweets, chocolates, toffees and other confectionary to doorsteps across the country. Visit www.auntiepams.co.uk/shop to place an order.
Online support
If you need some help with getting moving during lockdown, Revolution Fitness Academy is offering a free 7-day trial of its services, offering live, real-time virtual workouts, recipe ideas and mindset and lifestyle tools. Visit www.subdomain.rev-fitness.co.uk for more information.
Bury St. Edmunds Library might be closed for now, but Suffolk Libraries is hosting plenty of online events to keep you entertained at this time. From online film and book clubs to virtual quizzes and bedtime stories for kids, there is something for everyone. Visit www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/events-activities to take a look at all of the events on offer.
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