We visited Newark Foodbank, part of the Trussell Trust, during the winter

January is known as one of the toughest months of the year, and many families will be feeling the pinch.

We are very blessed here in Newark and the surrounding areas to have the support of a hardy band of volunteers who give their time to help those suffering from food poverty, whether it’s on a short or long-term basis.

I went along to Newark Foodbank, located on Cartergate, to work alongside the volunteers for one of their afternoon shifts to see how the charity operates, and how the average shifts pans out.

The food bank is part of the Trussell Trust network but operates as an independent charity, offering an emergency supply of food, to last three days, for both individuals and families who are struggling.

For those who need occasional help, the foodbank offers three days of food supplies, including long-life food, toiletries, washing products, and more.

For those in need of longer-term help, who have been referred to the food bank in the past, the social supermarket also offers those with a membership the chance to shop for themselves at a cheaper price to the traditional supermarkets.

With more than 70 volunteers, Newark Foodbank has a wide variety of helpers covering tasks such as PR, IT, and finance as well as working in the foodbank’s warehouse and collecting food from the various collection points across the area.

The parcels are hand-packed in the Foodbank warehouse and are colour-coded according to the size of the family it is for, and referrals are made through bodies such as local councils, midwives, GPs, and care agencies.

Manager Lesley Marshall said that there’s a wide range of people who use the food bank services, from homeless and ‘sofa surfers’ to those in zero hours contracts (“We sadly get a lot of those,” she said) and those in full-time employment who struggle financially.

“Some people’s stories are really heart-breaking,” she said, “In this day and age, to have people who just can’t make ends meet even when they’re working is shocking.

“A lot of it is people on low incomes and their money just doesn’t stretch enough.”

One such heart-breaking story, Lesley said, was that of a 79-year-old who was referred through a care agency and was in a “terrible state”:

“We didn’t used to get many older people referred to us as a lot of the time, they are in the mindset of not making a fuss and ‘just get on with it’ — too much pride,” Lesley said, “He was really struggling but just was planning to ‘make do’.”

Lesley first began volunteering with the food bank at the very beginning of its inception in 2011. “I started off doing an afternoon a fortnight, and now I live and sleep [the food bank], and most of my children have worked here at some point,” she said, “Luckily I’ve got a very patient husband!”

The food bank also has clinics from the Citizens Advice Bureau who work with clients to help apply for benefits and offer advice to try to ensure they don’t need to use the services of the foodbank.

Thomas Collier is one such spokesman for the CAB who helps food bank clients. He said: “We can sign post people to get different help and take the time to get to know people and their needs during these sessions, and help them with whatever they need.”

Last year, the food bank supported 200 households using their social supermarket, including 117 members of the service.

There are several local businesses who lend their support to the food bank, including Bird’s the bakery which had donated several loaves of bread, rolls, and pastries during my visit.

The food bank has seen the demand for its service lessen slightly, with a total of 4,352 clients supported this year compared to 4,569 in 2022-2023, which trustee Steve Charnock said could be due to the cost of living crisis impacting on people’s lives less as they adapt to their new normal.

Lesley said: “We do get a lot of success stories as well, and having Thomas and the CAB here is really helpful. People can get so caught up in their debt problems it can be a scary thing to get help.

“But we’ve had people come back to us who have been doing well which is great to see.”

As each parcel costs £30.55 for a single person, or £75.95 for a family of five, and £90,357 worth of food distributed this year, the food bank is still in need of help to keep their good work going.

This year, Newark Foodbank received 50 tonnes of donations, compared to 49 from 2022-2023, and distributed more than 53 tonnes — nearly three tonnes less than last year as the effects of the cost of living crisis lessens.

The charity is in desperate need of tinned meats and fish, including tinned tuna, cold meats, and corned beef, as well as toiletries including shampoo, deodorant, sanitary products, washing liquids, nappies sizes 5 and upwards, and pull-ups. Monetary donations are also always very welcome, as are strong ‘Bags for Life’ to parcel up the food.

You can find out more about supporting Newark Foodbank, and how to be referred, via the website at https://newark.foodbank.org.uk/

Donations of food or money can be given to the food bank during their opening hours — Tuesdays between 3pm and 5pm and Fridays between 1pm and 3pm.

Food donations can be left at the drop-off points around Newark and Southwell including Asda, Waitrose, One-Stop in Fernwood, the YMCA, the Co-ops, Hardy’s Farm Shop, One Stop and Lloyds Pharmacy in Southwell, and more. The full list of drop-off points can also be found on the website.