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New distribution hub for food banks in Stafford as demand increases

A distribution hub is being set up in Stafford borough to help food banks provide supplies to residents in need as the cost of living rises.

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Stafford Borough Council

Stafford Borough Council has agreed to contribute £18,000 to a community interest company (CIC) set up to run the hub, which will ensure food is distributed fairly to the network of food banks across the area.

The former Shopmobility site is set to be offered to the CIC at a peppercorn rate as it is not currently being used and will be vacant for 12 months, a council report said.

On Thursday members of the borough council’s cabinet agreed to the plans and were told of the issues facing food banks as well as residents struggling to make ends meet.

Councillor Jeremy Pert, cabinet member for community, said: “If I think back to 2020, I thought the issues that faced us and many in the community were once in a lifetime. And yet the impact of the cost of living, whether it be increases in fuel costs, rising food costs, inflation or mortgage increases is driving the use of food banks.

“At the same stage, the level of donations within food banks within Stafford Borough – and I guess this is replicated across the country – has reduced. We are all working closely across the public and voluntary sector to be able to put additional food into those food banks.

“The plan is to put these additional monies into a newly set up community interest company which has been set up for the purpose and they are working to link the food support charities and food banks within the borough to increase the availability of food. I want to thank the people involved for the work that they are doing and the support they are putting into our communities.

“Separately we continue to work across multiple partners, as well as looking to support communities during the squeeze that is affecting so many people at the moment.”

Councillor Carolyn Trowbridge said: “I want to thank Councillor Pert for bringing this to us – I know he’s championed this right from the start. And I want to thank all the volunteers that work at this hub or any other, whether it be for an hour once a month or the ones that I know do eight hour days more often than they should.”

A report to Thursday’s cabinet meeting said demand for support from the voluntary sector was predicted to increase. It added: “Local food banks have seen a simultaneous significant increasing of demand with a drop off in the volume of donations from the general public leading to some food banks buying supermarket groceries off the shelves to maintain full shelves in the food banks to support those most in need.

“Stafford Borough Council has a proud record of supporting everyone in our communities, most recently during the Covid 19 pandemic, and response to the first lockdown and could take an active role in supporting those on the front line, especially those most vulnerable, by increasing the availability of food into the food banks. Officers have been consulting with the voluntary sector over the past couple of months to discuss the wider demand issues and they have suggested that a central hub for food deliveries may help to alleviate some of the demand issues.

“The proposal would involve setting up a food distribution hub from one of the main food support charities of which the food banks in the borough could collect from to supply their own food bank. The food supply would contain a variety of staples – both chilled and ambient – of food that would be available for collection by the individual food banks on the same day as it is delivered.”

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