Plea for festive treats as well as essentials from in demand food banks in Yorkshire as retailer’s Christmas appeal continues
Posted by james brindle | Published: 09/12/2020
Food banks have made a special request to help them spread Christmas cheer alongside vital donations of essentials as they continue to see spikes in demand due to the impact of the Coronavirus in Yorkshire.
Food banks across the country have urged kind-hearted people looking to donate to Central England Co-op’s Christmas Food Bank Appeal in the run up to Christmas to donate a festive treat alongside some of the vital items they currently need to support people in their communities.
The appeal runs right up until December 31 and some of the retailer’s food bank partners have outlined what items they are most in need of right now, as well as talking about the impact of the pandemic as it continues to hit communities hard.
Emma Greenough, Fundraising Manager at The Welcome Centre in Huddersfield said items such as selection boxes, chocolates, tinned puddings and tinned ham were currently much needed – a full list can be found here https://www.thewelcomecentre.org/pages/12-donate-food
Talking about the rise in demand on the food bank she said: “Before Covid-19, a busy day for the Welcome Centre would see staff processing 40 new referrals (service users are sent by more than 100 local agencies – typically, schools, job centres, GP surgeries, the council and partner charities). “Now, 80 referrals are more typical. Any donations received will help make a difference to people in crisis.”
Bassetlaw Food Bank Manager Robert Garland thanked Central England Co-op and the generosity of customers in making a real difference to people in need.
He said: “The food bank is very grateful for the support of the Central England Co-op this Christmas, the generosity of the customers and staff will make a real difference to the work the food bank is doing during this emergency pandemic and challenging winter, working with the support of Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service (BCVS) and the Council to help families and individuals in need.”
Meanwhile the main items New Hope Community Food Bank in South Yorkshire are in need of are coffee, sugar, tinned stew steak, chicken/beef curry and mince & onion, curry sauces, instant mash, tinned potatoes, tinned macaroni, ravioli and spaghetti Bolognese, long life puddings, tinned custard and Christmas goodies such as packets of nuts.
The Central England Co-op Christmas Food Bank Appeal runs until December 31. The items are collected and made into food parcels containing around 11 items and will provide at least three days’ worth of meals for those in need.
As well as festive treats, items that can be donated include shopping basket staples from tea, sugar and cereals to other essentials such as toiletries and hygiene products to ensure people can maintain their dignity during times of crisis.
The Society works with over 65 different food banks to provide emergency food and support to individuals and families in crisis throughout the year.
Find out more about how Central England Co-op is supporting its communities this Christmas at www.centralengland.coop/food/christmas
Notes to editors
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.
Co-operatives have always been there for their communities; they were formed to protect them and help them flourish.
Our 7,900 colleagues who serve Members and customers work hard to ensure that co-operative values, principles and spirit flow through everything we do to help support and improve our local communities.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of Members, we have over 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
We are proud of our reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.
We invest a percentage of our trading profit into local communities through our Community Dividend Fund scheme, have donated over £1.4 million to our corporate charity partner Dementia UK and also operate a pioneering food redistribution partnership with FareShare Midlands so unsold food goes to those in need.
Visit www.centralengland.coop for more information or follow us on Facebook or Twitter using @mycoopfood
Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle
Phone - 01543 421390
Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop