Council serves up new home for food bank
A food bank is on the move to new premises and is aiming to be back helping people by the end of this month.
East Renfrewshire Foodbank will relocate to a new home in Lowndes Street to allow for the redevelopment of its former premises at St Andrew’s Parish in Barrhead.
The food bank recently signed a three-year, rent-free deal with East Renfrewshire Council to move to the ground-floor of council offices.
The facility has been operating for more than seven years and, prior to the impact of Covid-19, provided support to around 50 families across the whole authority who are living in food poverty each week.
As an umbrella organisation of the Trussell Trust, the food bank is open two days per week, Tuesdays from noon until 2pm and Fridays from 2pm until 4pm.
The team aims to always provide a minimum three-day supply of nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to the people of East Renfrewshire who are in crisis.
Councillor Alan Lafferty, convener for Environment, said: “The East Renfrewshire Foodbank is an absolutely vital service in Barrhead.
“It provides a lifeline to many residents across East Renfrewshire each week, so I was delighted that the council were able to co- locate services and find an appropriate office space for the food bank to relocate to during what is incredibly difficult times for everyone.”
The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of food banks and offers emergency food and support to people locked in poverty.
It also campaigns for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.
Across the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty – including 4.5 million children.
The trust supports more than 1,200 food bank centres in the UK.
Between April last year and March, food banks in the network provided a record 1.9 million food supplies to people in crisis, an 18 per cent increase on the previous year.
Stan Esson, from East Renfrewshire Foodbank, added: “The foodbank is relied upon by a lot of people, so it was essential that we were able to find a new facility and continue providing assistance.
“The whole team was relieved and so grateful when the council was able to offer us a new office space to move into, with the added benefit of being not too far away from our old premises.”
Non-perishable tinned and dried food donations are accepted at 14 Lowndes Street during the food bank’s opening hours.
Asda Barrhead and Tesco Barrhead have permanent collection baskets for shoppers who wish to donate.
The whole team was relieved and so grateful when the council was able to offer us a new office space