‘Affluent’ St Annes to get food bank

An emergency food bank is to officially open in one of the Fylde coast’s most affluent areas – as more desperate families than ever look for help.
Parents and children from St Margaret's Junior Church starting to collect items for Fylde Food BankParents and children from St Margaret's Junior Church starting to collect items for Fylde Food Bank
Parents and children from St Margaret's Junior Church starting to collect items for Fylde Food Bank

The food and support centre has been set up after churches and Citizens Advice bosses in St Annes said they were seeing more and more people in need.

Its trustees anticipate it will help dozens of people, including struggling families, once fully established, having already given out 150 parcels since January.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The food bank will distribute parcels with food to last three days, usually containing tinned goods as well as fresh fruit and bread, to those who find themselves in hardship due to redundancy, illness, debt or family breakdown.

The charity will be one of The Trussell Trust’s hundreds across the UK, the charity reports having to feed families forced to choose between buying food or pay for heating.

It is to have its base in Church Road Methodist Centre, and will distribute at drop-in points around the Fylde to people who have been referred to the charity through other support agencies, such as children’s centres and Citizens Advice.

Trustee Kim Cook, who is also manager of Citizens Advice in St Annes, said: “There is a need in Fylde, agencies have been contacting us with relief because they’ve been giving out food parcels on an ad hoc basis until now.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Children’s centres, churches and Citizens Advice have been struggling to help people.

“We’ve given out more than 300 food parcels since the end of 2012. It is clear something needs doing.”

Coun Linda Nulty, mayor of Fylde and a food bank trustee, added: “We need to keep a constant reserve of three tons of stock to ensure we will 
always have enough to meet the need.”

The food bank has been set up by Churches Together in Kirkham and District.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

An event is to be held in May to find volunteers to man stations and trustees hope to officially open it in June.

Mrs Cook added: “It’s a shame food banks have to 
exist, but we’re very grateful we will be able to do something.”

The latest addition to the Fylde’s food banks will supplement the three facilities in Blackpool and one in Fleetwood.

l For more information, visit www.fylde.foodbank.org.uk