About BCS

How did it all begin?

Bungay Emergency Community Support (BECS) was created as the result of the impact of the first national lockdown. Members of Bungay Town Council, along with residents of Bungay and a local charity all met on 18th March 2020 and created BECS to ensure regular supplies of essentials such as food and prescriptions would be delivered to the elderly, those living alone or to residents needing to shield vulnerable family members within a 6 mile radius of Bungay.

Why did we keep going after lockdown ended?

Whilst providing practical support it became apparent that many people were also suffering from long term loneliness and isolation made even worse by lockdown. So we set up a befriending service where volunteers kept in touch by telephone with those who were housebound. This has proved a vital lifeline for many residents, and this service, along with the shopping and prescription collection, continues today.

Do we still respond to local emergencies?

Originally BECS came together to respond to the pandemic emergency, and whilst we no longer keep the word ‘emergency’ in our name we will always rally round and work with other providers to help and support all those who live in and around our town who are affected by a crisis situation.

So during the Bungay floods at Christmas 2020 BECS swung into action coordinating with local emergency services to ensure safety of residents as well as providing food and gift parcels. We also sourced dehumidifiers and replacement white goods and furniture for affected households.

Similarly when we became aware of the looming Cost of Living Crisis about to hit our community and wanting to support those who would be struggling to ‘heat and eat’, we created the concept of community Warm Rooms and piloted them in the winter of 2021, with the aid of partners who kindly provided a variety of premises. This idea became so successful that it attracted national & international media attention and has been used as a model of good practice by statutory and voluntary providers throughout the country in response to the financial crisis which deepened in 2022.

From a Town Council Working Group to Independent Charity

Overtime we became aware that there was an ongoing need for community services and support not readily available locally. BECS became BCS and established independence from the Town Council. On 22nd August 2022 BCS became registered as a charity (CIO) in England and Wales with the stated purpose of providing practical support to local residents who are in need due to age, ill-health, disability, social or economic hardship.

Our charitable aims means we take a pro-active and practical approach to meeting the needs of local residents. Currently we have a range of services that are additional to our original offer, such as Baby Basics (providing donated new or pre-loved baby clothes). In addition we also engage in wider community initiatives e.g. to help people overcome social isolation we initiated and piloted with another charity (ACT) the Hearts and Minds project, funded by East Suffolk Council which was delivered in the aftermath of the pandemic. More recently we are working once again in partnership with East Suffolk Council to establish Bungay holding ‘Dementia Friendly Town’ status.

Why we Created a Community Hub at Number 28

By the autumn of 2022 it became clear that there was a growing need for permanent premises where residents could pop in, find information, get support, join an activity or speak with a specialist advisor. In June 2023 with the aid of a superb team of trustees, staff and volunteers Number 28, Bungay’s first community hub in the heart of the town was opened. It is a purpose designed one-stop-shop for local people, which includes previous BCS provision such as winter Warm Rooms and signposting information, but operating as a social hub for people of all ages throughout the year.

In addition to the ongoing activities offered, plans are already coming together for regular access to services previously only available to Bungay residents if they could travel to neighbouring towns or the city of Norwich. These include Citizens Advice, Job Club, and ESC Financial Advice and Debt counselling to name just some. It is anticipated that more outreach services will become available via Number 28 as and when a community need is identified in the future.

How does the Food Hall Work?

Most exciting is the creation of a Food Hall as part of Number 28. We have based this on a community pantry model. It enables registered residents to purchase staple and fresh foods at significantly discounted prices. Local suppliers and allotment owners have also agreed to contribute to the food stock by donating near end of date or seasonal surpluses thus reducing waste whilst also enabling families on tight budgets to eat healthily. Our Food Hall Supervisor and a dedicated team of volunteers operate this facility with weekly openings and also provide support and guidance on straightforward recipes and tips for meal preparation using Food Hall ingredients.

Who runs BCS?

The BCS team is made up of six trustees, three part-time members of staff and some fifty volunteers.