Food banks across the county received an unexpected and very welcome financial boost from Wyre Council this week.

The council had bid for additional Government grant funding from round five of the Household Support Fund (HSF) and learned last week that, just in the nick of time, they had successfully secured a further £10,000 before the round closed at the end of September. This is in addition to the £417,026 received in this latest round of HSF, which the council has already distributed to 4,500 vulnerable Wyre households.

The decision was made to share the windfall equally across eight local foodbanks, namely: The Pantry (Faith in the Community), St Thomas’ Garstang Foodbank, West View Community Association, Help PKE, Christian Care and Share Foodbank, Meadows Food Pantry (Christ Church), Hope Community Care Hub Foodbank and Cleveleys Community Church.

Anyone who is struggling to buy food due to the rising cost of living can find full details of these food banks on the Council website, together with other useful support.

Rebecca Huddleston, Chief Executive of Wyre Council said: “In these challenging times, it's essential to support our most vulnerable citizens. When we learned that the team had successfully secured the funding, the decision was made to distribute it promptly to local foodbanks. These food banks, with the help of their amazing volunteers, offer a vital service to anyone experiencing hardship.”

Staff who run the Meadows Food Pantry at Christ Church, Thornton said: Thank you so much for the additional funding which will really help with our Food Bank and helping in our community.

To learn more about the Household Support Fund please visit www.wyre.gov.uk/householdsupport