A COMMUNITY larder has been opened in a local village.

Hemyock has always been known as a parish that cares for villagers as well as the wider community.

In the 1960s flowers were sent to inner city areas of London for Mothering Sunday, eggs to local hospitals at Easter time and toys to Musgrove Park Hospital for Christmas.

Harvest gifts have been distributed to parishioners and gift boxes of food quietly left for those in need. Seven tons of dried milk were sent to starving communities in India in the late 1970s, and more recently support for the local food banks and Moldova/Ukraine has been outstanding.

And now, due to the rising cost of living, parishioner Sarah Bitmead has now set up a free community larder. Located at Prowses between flats 1 and 11, people in need are invited to take what they want and those who can, and would like to, can make donations. It is also possible that items can be delivered.

Sarah said the response has been amazing.

Within just a day or two of the larder being opened the shelves were filled with a variety of items from tinned goods and potatoes to toiletries.