It was a former ice-cream shop - that then lay derelict - before volunteers in Carnmoney transformed it into a thrift shop, which hands out free school uniforms and food hampers to struggling families.

“The whole intention,” says Paul Elliot who has been involved in the project right from the start, “was to create a thrift shop that didn’t look like a traditional charity shop.

“It was my wife’s idea really - borne out of the fact that were so much need in Carnmoney area, so many families struggling financially.”

Carnmoney Church is behind the Manna Thrift Shop - and over the summer a team of 50 people set about re-inventing the empty store.  They gutted the building, plastered it, painted it and created a really inviting space for the shop to work out of.

“The feed-back is that it looks incredibly good and offers good quality children’s clothes at a cheap price - which is really helping families,”  says Paul.

But it is Manna’s school uniform programme which is proving essential for some families, who are finding times very tough.

Like for *Connor’s family - a teenager who was facing the new school term with no blazer and no shoes to wear.  His family contacted Manna through the confidential phone line service and the team at the shop were able to supply Connor’s needs from the uniforms which had been donated.  It meant the student was able to begin the school year with the dignity of having the right uniform.

On top of all that positive community work, Manna provides a distribution point for grocery hampers for families caught in the poverty trap.

“Through our charity contacts we identify families in real need and distribute the food or uniforms to them,”  explains Paul.

“We’ve been able to be a source of hope to people - to kit out quite a number of families with school uniforms and meet their needs at this really pressing time.”

*Not his real name to protect the individual’s identity