VOLUNTEER JACK ON THE DIFFERENCE CHARITY IS MAKING The foodbank is not only important, it’s critical. It is a lifeline
“When I first started we weren’t feeding the numbers we are just now. It was around 3,000 a year and now it’s 10,200 a year. That’s mind boggling. It’s worrying.”
Those are the words of Jack Bradley, who has been volunteering with Renfrewshire Foodbank for four years following a career as an electrical engineer.
One of around 100 volunteers across the service, the 63-year-old from Erskine is one cog in an operation, which he described as “not just important” but “critical”.
Based at the warehouse in Renfrew, Jack deals with the inputting of vouchers into the system – the documents people need to get their food packages.
He explained: “If someone phones here looking for support we signpost them to one of 80 to 100 organisations who have got our unique vouchers.
“The client would go to that organisation and tell them what the problem is and they would give vouchers to them to go to one of our outlets.
“You have to present a voucher from a support organisation to get food.
“I deal with a lot of personal information of people so I choose not to go to the distribution, so I don’t meet our clients, who I know are in financial difficulty.
“I’m very glad I got into it. It doesn’t seem as if I’ve been doing it for four years.
“The beauty of volunteering is if you like it, you stay. If you don’t, you don’t have to stay.
“The core of our volunteers have remained loyal to the foodbank.
“The foodbank is not just important, it’s critical. Without the foodbank, people would think there’s nothing left for them. “It is a lifeline.”
Jack, who also has a decade of experience in quality management and document control, spoke about his reasoning for getting involved and joining a team of dedicated volunteers.
He added: “I’m an electrical engineer. Unfortunately I had an accident in 2003, which left me in a wheelchair. I spent another 10 years in quality management and document control until 2013.
“The first year of my redundancy I had finished up and my pension was enough to keep me comfortable. The first year was great but after that I needed some stimulation.
“Elizabeth had not long started and she was trying to get a core group together. She needed someone on the vouchers and administration. That was in October, 2015.”
Since the full rollout of Universal Credit in Renfrewshire last year, the demand placed on the foodbank has spiralled.
“The big worry is it’s not going away,” Jack said. “The system doesn’t seen to want to make anything any better.”
“I have got to say, the thing that really surprises me is the people of Renfrewshire. Without them we wouldn’t have a foodbank. They have always stepped up to help us with food.
Elizabeth Alexander, manager of the foodbank, has consistently spoken so highly of her volunteers and she believes the service simply couldn’t operate without them.
“Our volunteers are absolutely crucial,” she said. “The foodbank wouldn’t operate without them.
“We are very fortunate. We have been here for seven years and we have had people volunteer for seven years. People tend to come and they stay and that helps. People get on well.
“There are some people who do a bit of everything, maybe a morning at the warehouse and an afternoon at the distribution. Some people do a different couple of areas.
“But I often have to remind people in the warehouse just how important it is what they do because they’re not facing people.
“Every volunteer is vital. Whether it’s behind the scenes or at distribution, everyone is vital in making sure people get their food and get back on their feet.”
The foodbank is currently short on long life juice, tinned tomatoes, tinned fish, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables and custard.
If you would like to donate, find out more at renfrewshire.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/