Free chips for charity volunteers thanks to takeaway
Brookside shop provides lunch for Foodbank volunteers each week
EVERY Tuesday a group of dedicated volunteers meet at the Hinckley Area Foodbank Warehouse on Sketchley Meadows to receive, sort and process all the donations.
These are made through the local collection points and other sources ready for onward distribution to individual Foodbank centres in the area.
Volunteer Nick Robinson said: “It can be cold and heavy work but the team tends to make light of their work. It has it’s own rewards.”
The highlight of the day though is the lunchtime break when volunteer Ron Munro ventures out to Brookside Fish Bar to collect the team’s lunch, courtesy of Brookside Fish Bar.
For the past several years, every week, the fish bar has been supplying the volunteers much needed sustenance free of charge.
“It’s not the most glamorous work at the warehouse,” commented Colin Figures, Chair of the Hinckley Christian Community Action which operates the Foodbank.
“But we are a great team and we usually have a bit of a laugh while we are there. The lunch though is always very welcome and we are very grateful to Brookside Fish Bar for their generosity. It’s always nice to feel that local people appreciate what we do.”
It all started when
Ron
Munro, a regular customer at Brookside, was buying his lunch.
He said: “We just got chatting about the Foodbank and I mentioned that I volunteered down there each Tuesday and Mr Takhar out of the blue asked if I wanted to take some chips back for the other lads. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse and it’s now become something of an institution. It’s a gesture we all appreciate.”
The Fish Bar is operated by husband and wife team Sukhbir Singh Takhar and Sandeep Kaur Takhar.
“The volunteers put in a lot of time down at the warehouse to help people in our area and it seemed the least we could do to provide them with a lunch each week to keep them going,” said Sukhbir.
“It’s just our way of thanking them for their efforts on behalf of the community.”
Set-up in 2012, Hinckley Area Foodbank is one of 428 foodbanks across the country that make up the Trussell Trust network. It is a partnership of nine churches in the Hinckley area and is managed by Hinckley Christian Community Action.
If you would like to know a little more about the Hinckley Area Foodbank and its work, check out the website www. hinckleyarea.foodbank.org. uk or send an email to info@ hinckleyarea.foodbank.org. uk