Joy for community diner after funding success

Pit Stop Diner at Grassmoor Community Centre, pictured from left are Dave Maric, Stephen Wright, Tesco community champion Nicole Murtagh, Rob Whitehead, Tesco fruit and veg manager Ben Graham, Tesco counters manager Daniel Vaughan and Pam Hemsley

The Pit Stop Diner at Grassmoor Community Centre provides cheap and nutritious meals from food which would otherwise go to waste.

The super kitchen is led by volunteers who give up their free time to create an enjoyable and entertaining atmosphere for people from all backgrounds.

The Pit Stop Diner was set up by the Big local, Derbyshire County Council’s public health team and Grassmoor Community Centre last September via joint funding from Grassland Hasmoor Big Local and the county council’s Feeding Derbyshire project.

Dallas-Leanne Asher, support worker at Big Local, said: “Everyone involved is overjoyed by the decision to extend the sessions. There is a lot of hard work and planning involved that goes into it so everyone is thrilled.”

The Pit Stop Diner runs once a month and the idea behind it is to bring people together and to prevent social isolation.

Following its success so far, it will now be open on the first Saturday of each month in February, March, April and May.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for health and communities, Councillor Dave Allen, said: “Following a successful trial we’re delighted that the interest shown in Pit Stop Diner means it has attracted the support it needs to continue running over the next few months.”

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