“Before I received Rose Vouchers, I couldn’t afford to splash out on fruit and veg.
My kids love strawberries, kiwis, blueberries and oranges – they can eat a whole bag of oranges all in one sitting. I used to go to the market with £2 or £3 and hoped I could get enough fruit and veg to last for the week, but it was never enough money. Sometimes I wouldn’t even go to the market because I didn’t have money for fruit and veg.
It’s great that Rose Vouchers can be used at the market because you get so much more for your money there – watermelons are half the supermarket price. The traders help me make the best use of my vouchers – they’ll give me two halves of a £1 scoop if that’s what I want.
My eldest daughter likes to make smoothies. I bought a smoothie maker years ago, but I’d packed it away because I couldn’t afford any fresh fruit and veg to use in it. Now she loves making up her own recipes, and I can let her experiment because I’m not worrying about every last penny. Her favourite smoothie right now is spinach, strawberry and banana. The Rose Vouchers have increased my kid’s appetites and their tastes for new flavours.
It was stressful before I had Rose Vouchers. When my kids would ask for something like apples, and I couldn’t afford them, I’d have to say, “Sorry, not this time.” It was a horrible feeling. Now I can choose fruit and veg that we all want to eat, and it’s such a relief. I suffer from psoriasis, but it’s calmed down a lot since I started receiving the Rose Vouchers.
Rose Vouchers don’t feel like charity. No one looks down on me, and it helps me give my children the start that I want to give them, and I know that they need.”