WOKINGHAM Foodbank was one of 70 to receive a share of £40,000 earlier this year.
The organisation was given the donation by The Midcounties Co-operative, after the money was raised in 228 of its stores over the festive period.
Phil Ponsonby, CEO at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “We know that these are challenging times for many families, and as a co-operative business we’re committed to supporting our local communities.
“A massive thank you to all of our members, customers and colleagues who made a donation to our Food Bank Fund this Christmas. We’re so pleased to have been able to raise such a significant amount for our food bank partners and hope it goes a small way in supporting the vital services that they provide, especially as they face increased pressure and demand at this time of year.”
The £40,000 was raised through members, customers and colleagues who were encouraged to make monetary donations via till points, as well as drop essential items into each store’s food bank collection boxes.
The fund was also boosted through Midcounties’ work with its anti-food waste partner, Too Good To Go, to donate £1 from each ‘magic bag’ of discounted food sold to the fund.
The Food Bank Fund was initially launched at the start of the pandemic to help ensure that all those in need could continue to access essential supplies.
Since its launch, it has raised more than £90,000 for its food bank partners.
Annette Medhurst, Wokingham Foodbank manager said she was especially thankful for a donation in the new year.
“We continue to receive a high number of referrals for households across the borough,” she said. “We are always grateful for all financial donations received but especially so at the moment. The donation from the Co-op is incredibly well timed because we routinely need to to purchase low stock items at the moment.
“In particular we are buying a lot of cleaning products and toiletries to go out with our food parcels. We are thankful for their generosity and how well they support our community.”
The Midcounties Co-operative also partnered with the Shropshire, Dudley and Walsall Councils to help support families facing food poverty during the Christmas holidays.
It provided healthy recipes and ingredients for 15,000 meals which were delivered directly to families by a team of 14.
