Supporters of a Nottingham food bank which annually helps
3,000 people in crisis have been officially thanked for their generosity.
Bestwood and Bulwell Food Bank invited a number of
companies, organisations and individuals to its home at St Philips Church, Top
Valley, to thank them for throwing a lifeline to the charity. Each has provided
a vital contribution to the food bank, which is run in partnership with local
churches in Bestwood, Bulwell, and Basford.
Nottingham-based contractor J Tomlinson provided a large
container unit so that food can be safely stored at the site after being
approached by construction consultancy Turner & Townsend who heard that the
food bank needed new storage facilities. Nottingham City Homes asked doors and
windows supplier Nationwide Windows for help with a new door for the church to
increase security, which the company was happy to provide. Supermarket chain
Tesco also stepped in to offer additional storage room, while representatives
and young people from the National Citizen Service helped to prepare the site
for the container. The young people also raised £1,000 for the charity by
cycling the equivalent distance from Land’s End to John-O-Groats on static
bikes.
The Rev Andy Morris, vicar of St Philips and St Matthews
Church, and secretary of Bestwood and Bulwell Food Bank, said: “The support
that all these organisations and individuals have given us has been incredible
and it enables us to provide a service that’s desperately needed in the
financial climate that we are in.
“We are feeding about 3,000 people a year, which tends to be
about 30,000 meals, and over a year we deal with about 25 tonnes of food in
total. As well as on-going donations, twice a year we receive about three
tonnes of donated food from collections from customers of Tesco at Top Valley,
so it’s very important for us and the people we help that we have somewhere
where we can safely store these generous donations. Without Right Track, the
social enterprise that previously supported us for 18 months with storage, and
our latest benefactors, the food bank would find it a challenge to operate so
effectively.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham Coun Jackie Morris also attended
the official thank you, along with representatives from J Tomlinson, Turner
& Townsend, Nottingham City Homes, Nationwide Windows, Tesco and the
National Citizen Service.
Martin Gallagher, Construction Managing Director at J
Tomlinson, who attended with Head of Business Development Nikki Foreman, said:
“When we heard at J Tomlinson that Bestwood and Bulwell Food Bank needed new
storage facilities for donations, we were happy to step in and loan one of our
large containers. As a Nottingham-based company, we regularly support local
charities and good causes in appreciation of the key role they play in our
community.”
Part of the Trussell Trust network, the food bank was
launched in 2012 and is one of four in Nottingham run under the Trussell
banner. It is open Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1pm and 3pm and on Saturdays
from 10am to noon.
It provides three days of emergency food to people who are
given vouchers by care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social
workers, CAB and police who have identified people in crisis. Schools,
churches, businesses and individuals all donate non-perishable, in-date food to
the food bank.
Visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk
Press release issued by Nottingham PR agency Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk
