Keeping families fed at Christmas

Canterbury Food Bank distributed enough food for 10,206 meals in the first 24 days of December - a record for the charity.

The figure was slightly ahead of the meals distributed over the same period last year, when the country was in lockdown.

The food bank cites the Omicron variant of Covid, soaring inflation, the end of furlough and the drop off in Universal Credit rates as the reasons for continued high demand.

It has only been able to keep pace with the increases - which have doubled in just two years - because of the extraordinary generosity of supporters.

In the run-up to Christmas, members of the public put together 450 reverse advent calendars, where people put aside an item each day to donate.

Other generous food donations came from pupils at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, Nationwide Building Society in Herne Bay and staff at Whitstable Health Centre.

The Rotary’s Sunrise Club in Canterbury raised more than £2,000 for food and St Dunstan’s parochial church council donated 1,000. Many supporters also contribute financially on a regular basis or donated food via the charity’s collection bins.

Food bank operations director Angela Gardiner said: “All of the staff and volunteers wish to express heartfelt thanks for the generous donations received in the build up to Christmas.

“We appreciate every donation, no matter how small, because they are all given in the same spirit.”

Food bank trustee Peter Taylorgooby said: “The future is uncertain and much depends on the impact of the new variant and the pace of economic recovery and the future level of price rises.

“It does seem likely that for those who face the greatest challenges there will be still be very considerable pressures for the foreseeable future.”

The charity provides emergency food parcels to individuals and families in financial need across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay and surrounding villages.

It has donation baskets in all leading supermarkets where people can leave dried or tinned food items.

Anyone unable to buy food can make contact via canterburyfoodbank.org or by ringing 01227 936450.

David Holt

Trustee, Canterbury Food Bank