New Bromsgrove foodbank to be launched

Buy photos » Project manager Sue Hawkes and administrator Helen Deakin want residents’ donations for the new food bank. Picture by Marcus Mingins 0113002MMR

A NEW emergency foodbank to help Bromsgrove residents who are struggling to feed their families will be launched on Friday (January 18).

The Catshill and Marlbrook Foodbank is based at Catshill Baptist Church and is run by 35 volunteers, mainly from the church.

It will enable those in need to have three-days worth of nutritionally balanced food. People need to be referred to the foodbank from other organisations, which will provide vouchers for the food.

Project manager Sue Hawkes said: “The people we help come from all walks of life.

“Many of them are working people who are just above the level of benefits and have to make a decision over whether to feed their family or pay a bill.

“We want them to help them out of the situation they are in at that time.

“What we don’t want is to have a dependency culture - we want to help them to help themselves.”

The venture is being run in conjunction with The Trussell Trust, which already has almost 300 foodbanks nationwide.

Over a tonne of food has already been donated by the community and organisations, such as Catshill First School.

Although it is based in Catshill, it will offer help to all Bromsgrove residents and, as well as providing the much-needed food, it will also act as a ‘signpost’ organisation to point people in the right direction of agencies to assist with other issues, such as housing.

Catshill and Marlbrook Foodbank’s introduction will mean there is an organisation to help residents in the north of Bromsgrove for the first time.

For more on the Catshill and Marlbrook Foodbank, call Sue on 07542 102649 or e-mail info@catshillmarlbrook.foodbank.org.uk

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