Hearing that local food banks were short of Christmas treats, worried Yeovil Labour Party supporters leapt into action to help bring some festive cheer to people who are feeling the pinch. An emergency collection was held at Yeovil Labour Club last weekend. Donations from Labour supporters filled the collecting tables in just two hours. The festive fayre was delivered to local foodbanks this week. The food banks told the Labour team that that they need more treats for kids in the run up to Christmas. They also said that they are short of some yule-tide favourites that most of us simply take for granted, including tinned fruit, boxes of chocolates and Christmas cards Yeovil Labour also want to encourage people to donate directly to the four food banks in Yeovil, Crewkerne, Chard and Ilminster, which are all charities.
Rebecca Haselgrove, who organised the collection said “ I am very pleased that our supporters filled our collection tables so quickly. Its cheering that difficult times can bring out the best inb people. We all need to help and support each other as we work our way through the current crisis. “
Co-organiser Jane Carter-Uren, said “the sad fact is that more and more people are still living in hard times as we near the end of another difficult year. At Christmas more than ever, too many of us now have to rely on food bank just to keep our heads above water. That’s why we wanted to do what we could to help. “
Councillor Terry Ledlie, chair of Yeovil Labour Party, said “the fall-out from Coronavirus has continued to make life much harder for those who were already struggling. I am a strong supporter of food banks , which play a vital role. Nobody should be left wondering where the next meal is coming from.”
Ten staples that local food banks need
| Dog food and biscuits | Baked beans |
| Shower gel and shampoo | Tinned tomatoes |
| Coffee | Tinned fruit |
| Pasta sauce | Cheese biscuits |
| Hot dogs | Peanuts and nuts |
Local food banks – background
The national picture – there are now over 2000 food banks in the UK (Source: House of Commons Library report “Food Banks in the UK” March 2020), delivering 3.5 million parcels a year. The first foodbank was founded by the Trussell Trust in 2006 and this charity now operates 60% of UK food banks. There are also 900 other food banks, many of which are run by groups of local churches, including those in Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster, who are part of the Churches Together initiative.,
The local food banks are all charities who can accept money as well as food donations.
Foodbank contact details
- The Lord’s Larder Chard: office@forefront.org.uk 01460 66080
- The Lord’s Larder Yeovil: LordsLarderYeovil@gmail.com 01935 479398
- Ilminster Food Bank: (12) Ilminster Food Bank | Facebook 07713 727605.
- Crewkerne: https://www.facebook.com/helpingcrewkerne/ 01460 77489