Council set to help foodbanks across Wolverhampton for another year

A meeting of Wolverhampton council’s cabinet resources panel will next week be asked to agree to provide £450,000 to extend support of foodbanks across the city for a further 12 months.

The council has been delivering vital supplies to a network of foodbanks across the city since the start of the pandemic and has so far delivered 850,000 meals.

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Foodbanks have been hit hard by the pandemic with many of their volunteers being required to shield and fewer donations at a time when demand for help from people in financial crisis has risen.

Leader of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Ian Brookfield said: "Our approach is simple - we look after our own and no-one gets left behind.

"Demand for this help has gone up as more people are struggling financially, but the donations the foodbanks rely on to keep going have dropped and many of their volunteers are older people who have needed to shield.

"This is why, early in the pandemic, we took a decision to directly support Wolverhampton foodbanks by providing them with weekly supplies.

"We have continued to do that ever since and because we know that the economic effects of the pandemic will go on, we are set to continue with that support for another 12 months."

One of the foodbanks to benefit from the council’s support is based at the Excel Church in Bilston.

Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, who regularly volunteers at the Excel foodbank, said: "The Excel Church Food Bank opened a year ago.

"It initially opened in response to the pandemic, but it has uncovered a huge ongoing need in the area.

"The ongoing support from the city council will be a great assistance to foodbanks like ours who rely on donations and the efforts of volunteers to keep supporting people in need."

Every food parcel delivered to the foodbanks contains enough basic supplies to feed a person for a week, including cereal, bread, tinned vegetables and UHT milk.