MP meets with Deeside based community interest company with ambitious expansion plans

An MP has met with an organisation that has helped thousands of people in the community since the Coronavirus pandemic began.

The Member of Parliament for Alyn and Deeside met with James Hunt, founder of Nanny Biscuit, to hear more about the story so far and to see how he can help with some ambitious expansion plans.

A gas engineer by trade, James then became a soldier but was injured in Afghanistan and medically discharged. He established Nanny Biscuit, named in memory of his grandmother, to combat loneliness by offering sociable Christmas dinners, free holistic therapies and DIY support.

When the pandemic hit, the organisation was ideally placed to mobilise and help those in the community who needed it. Within just two weeks volunteer numbers swelled from four to 70 – manning a food warehouse and phoneline and getting meals out to homes.

Now more than 44,000 meals have been delivered to those who need them across North Wales and North West England by Nanny Biscuit with support from Moneysupermarket.com. The organisation also runs a regular call service where those who feel isolated can chat with a friendly volunteer. Food pantries have recently been opened in Connah’s Quay and Shotton where anyone who is struggling can pay whatever they can afford, and nothing if they can’t, for the food they need. 

Nanny Biscuit now works with organisations including Newydd catering, Marie Curie, Fair Share and Adferiad and is the organiser of A Grand Week in Wales. Anyone from schools to clubs can get involved in A Grand Week in Wales by collectively completing a challenge, from walking a thousand miles to recycling a thousand plastic bottles. Named because Wales’s circumference is a thousand miles, the event took place in the run up to St David’s Day and encourages community activity. 

James, from Queensferry, explained that Nanny Biscuit is funded by CAFgas, a gas engineering community interest company where engineers draw an industry standard salary and the profits are ploughed into charitable projects.

“I want to scale what we’ve done with Nanny Biscuit and CAFgas across Wales, by expanding CAFgas’s team of engineers and in turn expanding the amount of people that Nanny Biscuit’s projects can reach,” he said.

“Part of our growth model is to create apprenticeships within Wales and England.”

Mark Tami has helped Nanny Biscuit by making referrals to organisations including Flintshire County Council and the Welsh Government and providing letters of support to funders. 

“It’s been great to meet James and hear about Nanny Biscuit’s community projects,” said Mark Tami. “Securing income through a Community Interest Company keeps Nanny Biscuit’s projects sustainable, and I’m delighted that there are plans to create apprenticeships, which are hugely valuable for our young people. I’m happy to support Nanny Biscuit and CAFgas as much as I can.”

Any gas engineers or volunteers who would like to get involved can contact James Hunt by calling 07726230989 or emailing [email protected]. To get involved with A Grand Week in Wales please visit www.nannybiscuit.org