Gloucestershire’s largest foodbank is in urgent need of support.
While the number of clients at Gloucester Foodbank continues to grow, the level of donations being received is declining – a fate which many other foodbanks nationally are facing.
Gloucester is the busiest foodbank in the county, with 20 per cent more clients receiving the foodbank’s support than this time last year. It means the charity is now providing over 6,000 meals per week via their three-day emergency food parcels.
Gloucester Foodbank’s Assistant Manager Rhi Hopkins said the charity has always had fantastic support locally, but they now need even more help to cope with the ever-growing demand.
“We support our clients when they need it most, and that help can only continue with the kindness and generosity given to us by Gloucester’s community,” they said. “We are so grateful to all our donors, volunteers and partner organisations for the support we are given, and we hope they will rally to help our clients once more.”
Rhi points out that emergency foodbank parcels are only a short-term fix – the integral issue is that that people are not financially able to ‘have the dignity of buying their own food and essentials.’ To help this, foodbanks across the Trussell Trust network offer Financial Inclusion support for any client who requires help with income maximisation, debt advice, budgeting and employment opportunities.
They said: “We hope for a future where foodbanks simply cease to exist. Many areas including Gloucester are working with other services to build a strong food network; bolstered by community pantries, surplus food distribution and community meal programmes to support those facing hardship be lifted out of poverty and into a sustainable, independent way of living,” they explained.
Gloucester’s charity is now calling all residents of the city to come together and provide for a city where no one should have to choose between feeding their families or heating their homes this winter. Rhi highlights how foodbanks have to offer more:
“We do not just provide food in our parcels, as we know there is more our clients need when facing these unthinkable decisions to get by. We offer toiletries, baby care items, female sanitary packs and cleaning products if we receive them in our donations.”
To help the campaign to raise funds, Gloucester Foodbank will be holding food drives across the city in the coming months, providing shopping lists to customers of their most urgently needed items that they need donated to fill their parcels. The current dates and locations are:
Thursday 1st August – Tesco Brockworth & Quedgeley Superstore
Friday 27th September – Tesco Quedgeley Superstore
Saturday 12th October – Tesco St Oswald’s Superstore
Thursday 28th, Friday 29th, Saturday 30th – Tesco Brockworth, St Oswald’s & Quedgeley Superstores
You can donate goods to Gloucester Foodbank via supermarket drop boxes, direct to their Warehouse on Great Western Road, or by attending one of our supermarket food drives. Businesses can also become a collection point for staff and customers to drop off their donations.
To find out more visit Gloucester Foodbank’s website at: https://gloucester.foodbank.org.uk/ or follow the charity’s social media on X, Instagram, Facebook, BanktheFood & LinkedIn.