Solicitors playing their part to help those in need

The food bank at law firm Harbans Singh & Co. on Church Street in Oldbury is open to all sections of the community, with anyone needing helping welcomed to take up to 10 items each without needing to provide proof.

Started as a tribute to Surinder Kaur Lotay, the mother of immigration consultant Sharan Rupra, in Handsworth, the food bank runs fortnightly on a Tuesday for an hour, with members of the firm helping out.

Harbans Singh & Co. partner Amar Gill said that the firm had taken on the food bank after hearing about it having to leave Handsworth due to the office being sold and saying it was a way to show community spirit.

He said: "It started with our colleague Sharan Rupra and was based in some premises in Handsworth, but due to them having to sell up, she wasn't able to continue there.

"As myself and my partner at the firm Gurpreet Bhatia have known Sharan for a number of years, we thought it would be good to have a bit of community spirit and run it from our office.

"We publicise it a lot in Oldbury town centre and all of the shops have let me put posters up about it, letting people know that we are open every second Tuesday for people to come in."

Mr Gill said the average number of people who came to use the food bank was around 20 to 25 people, with homeless people and families coming in alongside office workers and professionals.

He said there was no judgement from anyone at the food bank and spoke of how some people had come to be there to use it.

He said: "I think some people are being sent our way after being signposted to us, while a number have come by word-of-mouth and others have seen the adverts in the window.

"The beauty of our food bank is that we don't ask for any form of identification or show us that they are on benefits as it's not just people on benefits who are struggling and is also people with normal jobs.

"The numbers have gone up during the cost of living crisis, although I would say that we've built our own community of people as the people using the food bank in Handsworth aren't the same people using it in Oldbury."

Mr Gill said it was good to be able to help the community during such a difficult time, adding that the food bank was currently being funded by people at the law firm, as well as sponsorship from Lewis Wholesale Ltd in West Bromwich.

He said that, at present, the food bank was able to run without a fear of running out of stock, but said he wanted it to become self-sufficient, rather than continually funded by members of the law firm.

He said: "I think the point where things could be difficult is going to come but, at the minute, we can keep running, with myself and my partners paying in between £150 and £200 a week.

"Obviously, we want to make this a stepping stone to get more sponsorship and grants as I don't want to keep running it from my office and want to find somewhere to run it, preferably from one room where I don't have to pack anything away and people can come and take what they need.

"What I will say is that coming to a food bank to collect items is nothing to be ashamed of because it helps you help a person to be able to help their own family and everyone is being affected right now, so we are here to help as best as we can."

The food bank runs every second Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm at Harbans Singh & Co solicitors office on Church Street in Oldbury.

To find out more, call 07770536566.