£10,000 boost for Blackpool Food Bank

The foodbank, which is a registered charity, will use the money to convert a recently acquired van into a refrigerated vehicle to allow it to transport food supplies safely.

With the amount of food the amenity provides still increasing, the refrigerated van is seen as crucial to its work.

Although the total project will cost £20,000, the rest of the cash has been match-funded from other sources.

Neil Reid, chairman of Blackpool Food Bank, thanked the Nationwide Building Society for providing the grant, via its Colleague Grant scheme.

He said: “We are thrilled with the help they has given us.

“Without the incredible support from individuals and corporate businesses, we would not be able to function.

“During the pandemic the demand has tripled for our services and with that we have had to upscale our acquisition of food.

“We move in excess of 10 tonnes of food across our network every week and have a team of 50 volunteers.”

Blackpool has eight out of the top 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in England within its boundary, according to recent government figures.

The foodbank, located on Cornwall Avenue, is the only one of its kind in the UK which acts as a full-time distribution centre.

It sends out food parcels to more than 70 organisations, from Fleetwood to St Annes, but Neil added: “Without the donations we couldn’t do it.”