Express & Star

Food bank stock on the up after generous donations

Things are on the up at a food bank which was struggling to cope with demand earlier this year thanks to generous donations and hard working volunteers.

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Adam Tilsley, Val Jones, June Bould, Carole Holdcroft, Janis Lomas, Jill Gooch and Kate Young, celebrate the amount of food donated at Cannock & District Food Bank absed at Pye Green Christian Centre, Hednesford.

The Pye Green Christian Centre, based on Pye Green Road, Hednesford, usually stocks around 10 tonnes of food but had just 4.4 during September and following an appeal for help from residents, the food bank run at the site is getting closer to being back to normal.

Manager in training Adam Tilsley has said that more donations have come forward in the wake of an appeal earlier this year and thanked all of those who have helped the cause.

He said: "We were struggling a few weeks ago and had our lowest ever amount of stock.

"This has massively improved now, so I would like to thanks all of our dedicated and hard working volunteers, as well as the generous members of the public who have contributed.

"Obviously due to the nature of what we do, stock is always going so if we can ask that people keep on supporting us we will continue doing our best to help those in need."

Anyone wishing to donate can visit the centre Monday to Saturday between 9am and 5pm, or alternatively visit a drop off point at Tesco in Hednesford and Heath Hayes.

Mr Tilsley added that the food bank is looking to fill up spaces in its '200 Club', a dedicated group of 200 people from across the area who can commit to regular monthly donations.

The scheme has recently launched and has 15 recruits so far.

He said: "It would be beneficial for us to have a regular supply of food coming in from sources and we have so many people donate that we hope to fill our 200 Club up over the coming months."

The centre has handed out nearly 16 tonnes of food this year helping more than 2,300 people in the district.

On a visit to the food bank in September, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley praised the work of volunteers.