With the cost of living on the rise, this autumn and winter is an uncertain time for many families.
Wadebridge Foodbank, which includes Padstow, Bodmin, Camelford and the surrounding areas, is preparing its team for a busy season ahead, helping single people, couples and families in the area.
Based in Wadebridge town centre and part of the Trussell Trust, the foodbank is run in conjunction with its charity shop, the Storehouse, which sells furniture, household items, books, school uniform and other items to raise money for the foodbank. Items can also be gifted to people in need in the community who are referred via a network of referral partners.
All donations are weighed in and weighed out, sorted into boxes that are given to foodbank users who are normally referred to the team through 300 local referral agencies. They have an online system which can point people in need to their nearest foodbank based on their postcode. Bodmin, Camelford and Wadebridge Foodbank covers anywhere from Tintagel to Trevone in North Cornwall.
Sadly, the foodbank’s figures have shown that the use of the service is on the rise. Between 1st April and 27th June 2022, the figures are up by 90% compared to the same period last year, likely to be caused by the cost of living crisis, in-work poverty, job loss and redundancies, rural challenges, debt, homelessness, benefit cuts and more. The number of people in emergency accommodation has risen by 300% from 2019. Since April this year, the number of people fed by Wadebridge Foodbank is 1,234 with 504 of those being children. **
Volunteers, of which there are approximately 40 that cover the three locations, are trained to help clients use the Turn2us website which can help with benefit checks and grant applications.
Wadebridge Foodbank Project Manager Jacqui White MBE told Wadebridge Life: “Everything we do is about signposting people and checking they’re getting the right support. People see us as a trusted source.
“We never say ‘no’ to someone, but we do like to work with someone so that we know they’re getting the support they need. If someone calls us, we can have a box waiting for them and can support them throughout their crisis.
"Our Foodbanks provide so much more than food, we are also able to provide toiletries, household items, dog/cat food and nappies etc. Appointments with Citizens Advice and CAP, who provide free debt support, are available at our Foodbank."
If you are in need of the foodbank’s assistance, visit https://www.wadebridgefoodbank.org/get-help/, call 01208 815374 or email contact@wadebridgefoodbank.org
If you would like to support Wadebridge Foodbank, they always have a list of items that they require on their website, which is kept up-to-date. Simply visit https://www.wadebridgefoodbank.org/give-help/
**Please note these figures were obtained at the time of writing, and may have changed since.
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