The Witney Food Bank, part of the Trussell Trust national network, has seen demand increasing month on month and they expect even more people in Witney and West Oxfordshire to be referred to them as autumn turns to winter.
In the past year, the food bank has supplied 5753 adults and 2352 children with emergency food parcels. Thanks to the support of companies and individuals, who make both food and financial donations the food bank has just been able to meet the increased demand. Since the start of 2023, The Trussell Trust network has seen the highest ever levels of need, even more than during the pandemic, as more people are finding their incomes do not cover the costs of essentials like paying their mortgage/rent, utility bills and food costs.
Witney Food Bank is an entirely volunteer-run project located at the back of the building owned by Cottsway House at Heynes Place, Avenue Two, Witney OX28 4YG. With a team of over 75 volunteers, who collect food from local supermarket collection points, make deliveries where required to disabled, elderly and housebound clients, sort food donated and carefully pack the parcels according to the number of people each one is needed for. The food bank is open Monday to Friday from 10 am until 2pm but volunteers also get involved in regular food collections and awareness campaigns outside supermarkets in the area. The Centre Co-ordinator is Megan who has worked with the food bank for two and a half years. With a background working with socially deprived people, it was the perfect role for her to take up as each day, along with the team around her, they make a huge difference to the lives of people in crisis who are going hungry.
Clients who are experiencing an unexpected financial crisis situation are referred to the food bank by various professionals working in the community, including the Citizens Advice Bureau, Job Centre, West Oxfordshire District Council, Turning Point, doctor/GP, social and other health workers, and local schools. All assess each client’s situation to verify their crisis and need. Once issued with a food bank voucher which is exchanged for a simple box of food this makes a big difference, with foodbanks helping prevent crime, housing loss, family breakdowns and mental health problems.
Mick Morris, Chair of the Witney Food Bank, has also been instrumental in setting up a Financial Inclusion Project alongside the Citizens Advice Bureau. As clients struggle to deal with their financial debts, they are referred to one of the three specially appointed caseworkers who can assess their finances, restructure their repayments, help them navigate the benefits system and hopefully ease their financial pressures going forward. “This scheme was set up initially as a pilot in the Witney area,” Mick explains. “However, it now covers the county with our three case workers covering four food banks at Witney, Abingdon, Banbury, and Bicester. By assisting people in financial crisis to see how they can cope better, alleviates longer-term financial problems, helping to restore our clients’ mental health and in turn keeps families together.”
If you are a local company or organisation, or an individual, and would like to support Witney Food Bank there are several ways you can get involved:
Financial donations enable the food bank to buy supplies that are needed at wholesale prices from a local distributor. Even those wholesale prices have risen dramatically by 38% since the start of 2023. You can make a financial donation by visiting totalgiving.co.uk/donate/witney-and-west-oxfordshire-food-bank
Food donations, either at one of the supermarket collection points or even better, brought directly into the food bank centre. Please ensure that the items are non-perishable, and in-date and will help to provide a minimum of three days of nutritionally balanced food and essentials such as toiletries, toilet paper, and even dog food. Although there is a fridge and deep freeze which is stocked each week thanks to the generosity of Jolly Foods in Carterton, ambient food storage in the warehouse is limited. Essential items which are running low each week and need to be restocked can be found on the Witney and West Oxfordshire Food Bank Facebook page. Generally, stock items include breakfast cereals, tinned soup, beans, tinned vegetables and meat/fish, tinned fruit, tea/coffee/hot chocolate, pasta, rice, pasta sauces, sugar, biscuits and snacks alongside sanitary products and toiletries.
Food parcels can be adapted to meet special dietary needs so when you arrive at the food bank centre, a volunteer will chat to you about any special dietary requirements you may have.
As we head towards Harvest Festival, a traditional time for collecting food, and in the weeks leading up to Christmas when demand for support is expected to rise even further, every item donated is important. You can also get involved in donating as part of the ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ where instead of receiving a gift, you donate a specific food item each day. This is a good way of teaching children the importance of giving rather than always receiving.
Volunteering with the food bank will allow you to work with other like-minded people who are the driving force behind running the food bank so effectively. There is a great team spirit and whilst the volunteers only work in small groups, new friends are made whilst they are doing essential work. There are various roles that people can get involved in so if you would like to be considered or have particular skills or ideas that you think could prove useful, email lou@witney.foodbank.org.uk
Mick concludes: “We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. We know that anyone can find themselves at crisis points for a number of different reasons. In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation, we work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a food bank voucher having taken some basic details from you to complete the voucher. This will help them identify the cause of your crisis and offer practical guidance. It also means that we can prepare suitable emergency food for the right number of people, including the family pet.”
To find out more about how you can support Witney Food Bank or if you need support yourself simply visit witney.foodbank.org.uk
