The words "The Swindon Food Bank" have been heard at various places within our congregations, but who actually knows much about it? Here are a few notes that might help.

What is it? A project stemming from the Trussell Trust, a Christian charity set up in 1997, whose aims are to reduce poverty, deprivation and despair at the point of need. Currently Food Bank projects operate in Milton Keynes, Salisbury and Gloucester (and their surrounding areas), in partnership with care professionals and the wider community to provide, prepare and deliver pre-packed emergency food boxes to people in short-term crisis.

Why do we need this in Swindon? Official statistics reveal that 13 million people in the UK live at, or near, the poverty line – one small problem away from a major crisis, such as having no food or not being able to provide basic living requirements for themselves. Despite the town’s booming economy, a shocking report last year revealed that one in six Swindon children live in poverty. The area of Penhill, known as The Valley, was ranked among the most deprived in the country. In the Indices of Deprivation 2000 and 2004, Whitworth came within the worst 2% in England for education and skills, and within the worst 6% child poverty area. In addition to these, the other most deprived wards are Park, Central, Gorse Hill and Whitworth.

What are the aims of the Food Bank? The aims are to meet a fundamental need for food for disadvantaged/vulnerable people in Swindon. This need will be met through a straightforward system of collection, collation and distribution of basic food items to support people at times of crisis. The first necessity is to raise money - £35,000 - enough to fund The Swindon Food Bank for 12 months and will pay for 1 full time worker, the rent for a Warehouse and a Distribution Centre. Then there is the need to collect non-perishable food given by the general public for distribution, to ensure that three days’ emergency food is available for families and individuals in crisis.

How can we help? In practical ways from donating one hour of your time per year; giving the Food Bank an item of food from their list each time you shop; giving monetary donations – as little as £1 helps. Volunteers with no skills or great skills can contribute. Donations of time could be for supermarket collections, sorting the food at the warehouse, administrative tasks. Other support could be organising food collections, or donating gifts in kind – anything that would help The Food Bank as a business, from office machinery to supplies of paper or other items. It should go without saying that the Food Bank hopes that you will include them in your prayers.

What kind of food can we donate? The Food Bank has a shopping list of breakfast cereal, dried pasta, cartons of orange juice, tinned or dry soup, sugar, tea bags, tinned meat, tinned tuna, tinned baked beans, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tinned rice pudding and tinned tomatoes. All foodstuffs must, of course, be within the ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date.