Widnes Foodbank is registered as a charity and is part of the national network of foodbanks seeded by the Trussell Trust.

As a result of an initiative by all the Christian Churches in Widnes it commenced operations in September 2012 and is operated solely by volunteers with an office at Trinity Methodist URC Church at the bottom of Peelhouse Lane.

The aim of Widnes Foodbank is to provide emergency food parcels containing three days supply of balanced and nutritional foodstuffs to individuals in need and/or for distribution by charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.

Food is donated by local churches, schools and the general public at designated collection points around town and/or during organised events such as Harvest Festival and supermarket collection days. The donations are collected, checked, sorted and stored in a central warehouse facility before being delivered to one of three local distribution centres. At least one of these distribution centres is open on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in each week.

Widnes Foodbank depends on donations of food and would welcome, in particular, donations of tinned meat, tinned fish, tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit, UHT milk, long-life fruit juice, rice, packet soup, cereals, coffee and biscuits. Our food drop-off point can be found in the church porch. Items can also be dropped of the collection points listed on the Widnes Foodbank website (http:www.widnesfoodbank.org.uk)

At the distribution centres clients may exchange a Foodbank voucher issued by one of the existing 65 local referral agencies for three days supply of food. The client may then be signposted to another local agency or charity depending on their needs.

All the activities of Widnes Foodbank are undertaken by volunteers and at the present time there are volunteering opportunities to join:-

  1. The team of volunteer drivers who use their own cars to collect food from the collection points and deliver it to the warehouse and then transport food from the warehouse to the distribution centres;
  2. The team of volunteers who work in the distribution centres (Widnes Foodbank would like to open its Crossing Point Distribution Centre in Lugsdale Road (the former St Marie's Parish Hall which the Archdiocese has leased to Widnes Foodbank) on Tuesdays if a team of volunteers can be recruited and trained); and
  3. The team of volunteers who work in the office at Trinity Methodist URC Church.


If you are interested in volunteering, you can

  1. See the Widnes Foodbank website (http:www.widnesfoodbank.org.uk) for a volunteer application form.
  2. Telephone the office (0151 422 0031) between 10am and 12 noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Fridays.
  3. Write to the office c/o Trinity Methodist URC Church, Peelhouse Lane, Widnes, Cheshire WA8 6TJ.



 

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