13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK...
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Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income.
Swale Foodbank opened in 2012 and provides a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis across the borough of Swale. In 2022/23, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network provided 2,986,203 three-day emergency food supplies and support to UK people in crisis. Of these, 1,139,553 were distributed for children. The coronavirus epidemic, rising costs of food and fuel combined with static income, high unemployment and changes to benefits are causing more and more people to come to foodbanks for help. Hope Church Sittingbourne are a partner church for Swale Foodbank, supporting its operation with encouraging and recruiting volunteers, through food donations, to a small degree financially and also in faith filled prayer. HOW A FOODBANK WORKS... FOOD IS DONATED Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to the foodbank. All food given out by foodbanks is donated. ‘Supermarket Collections’ are one of the main ways that food is donated: These are food drives held at supermarkets where volunteers give shoppers a ‘foodbank shopping list’ and ask them to buy an extra item or two for local people in crisis. FOOD IS SORTED & STORED Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be delivered to the Swale Foodbank Centres, and then available to people/families in need. FRONTLINE CARE PROFESSIONALS IDENTIFY PEOPLE IN NEED Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and Children's Centres identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher. CLIENTS RECEIVE FOOD Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a Swale Foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteer advisers meet clients over a cup of tea and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem. Swale Foodbank runs four hubs which enable clients to access the service at key points and days in the week.. Locations and details of opening times are shown on the Swale Foodbank website, accessible by the links below. |
Big thanks to our friends over at NET Church Sittingbourne for permission in sharing the above video.
In 2022/23, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network provided 2,986,203 three-day emergency food supplies and support to UK people in crisis. Of these, 1,139,553 were distributed for children. |
SWALE FOODBANK LOCATIONS...
Swale Foodbank have 4 centres currently open – each centre runs on a different weekday, in different locations and at different times.
- Mondays: Net Church, East Street, Sittingbourne, ME10 4BL (open 11:30am-1:30pm)
- Tuesdays: Holy Trinity Parish Hall, Church Street, Sittingbourne, ME10 3EG (open 12pm-2pm)
- Thursdays: Richmond Academy, Unity Street, Sheerness, ME12 2ET (open 4pm-6pm)
- Fridays: Sittingbourne Baptist Church, High Street, Sittingbourne, ME10 4AQ (open 10:30am-12:30pm)
