Feed a Family: Food banks 'fully expect' demand to soar

Deacon and Sunday school leader Meena Ledger, who is a senior member of the team at the High Street church, runs the food share project which is independent of the Telford Food Share project at Rampart Court, though they do use goods left over from there.

Run by Broseley based Connect Aid, project opens its doors at the church every Saturday morning and aims to reduced food waste by donating it to households for a small donation of £2 per person.

Meena said the need for the service has steadily risen over the last few years and numbers are up 'significantly' month on month at the Saturday sessions.

Feed a Family:

• Read more about the Star’s Feed a Family family campaign and how you can help others in need

She said: "People are telling us they are struggling, with food prices and other prices on the increase as inflation rises and now the new energy cap figures which are going to make people worry even more.

"We have seen a steady flow of new faces over recent months - we don't turn anyone away - and an increase in the number of booked slots as well as walk-ins.

"This is not a majorly affluent area, people are generally not earning massive sums where they can cover the increase in bills or energy prices and our aim is to do as much as we can to help whilst also reducing the food waste.

"We are lucky to have some wonderful donors from the congregation and other churches and outside support and we have the arrangement with the Telford Food Share project so we are coping ok but we are fully expecting numbers to get steadily higher as we head towards the winter months.

"I would encourage anyone who is struggling or just needs a helping hand to get in touch with us or even if they just need help or advice or a friendly face, come and see us at the church."

Connect Aid also work with organisations within Ukraine, and have sent out 428 pallets of food and aid and £8,000 in cash in the last two months raised online and thorough the Food Share Project store.

The food share project runs between 11.15am and 12.15pm on a Saturday for booked slots and then 12.30-1.30pm for walk-ins where no booking is needed. People are asked to bring their own bags.

For full details on the food share project and all other activities at Madeley Baptist Church, go to madeleybaptist.org.uk

WHERE TO DONATE:

• Bridgnorth

7, West Castle Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4AB. Telephone: 07960 285520. Email: contactus@bridgnorthfoodbank.co.uk. Open every Monday 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Food can also be donated at the Co-op in Low Town, Bridgnorth Town Council offices, Charlie’s at the Old Mill, Aldi on Bridgnorth Road, Sainsbury’s and churches in the town.

• Church Stretton

Church Street, Church Stretton, SY6 6DQ. Telephone: 07561 693870. Open: Fridays 2.30pm to 4pm.

Donations can be taken to the Co-op in Lion Meadow or the Mayfair Community Centre, Easthope Rd, Church Stretton SY6 6BL

• Telford

Food Share Project: Save it Discount Foodstore, 23 Bridge Road, Wellington. Telephone: 07775 505434. Email: team@foodshareproject.org.uk. Open: Monday to Sunday 10am to 5pm.

Telford Crisis Support: Fruit of the Loom House, Unit G, Halesfield 10, Telford TF7 4QP- Monday to Friday 9am-5pm

Donations can also be taken to Wellington – Citizens Advice offices; Leegomery – Leegate Centre; Hadley – Elim community church; Ketley – Community centre Holyhead Road; Oakengates – The place theatre or Leek building society; Donnington – Community Hub, St Matthews Road; Muxton – Greenfields farm shop; Town centre – Sainsburys and ASDA; Stirchley – Co-op store, Grange Avenue; Dawley Morgan, Payne & Knightly Estate Agents on Dawley High Street

• Newport

The Royal Navy Club, Bellmans Yard, TF10 7AJ. Open Friday morning 9.30am to 11.30am. Telephone: 01952 811655. Email: newportfoodbank@gmail.com.

Drop off points for donations are Waitrose, Audley Road; Nationwide, High Street; Samuels Dry Cleaners and HSBC.

• Market Drayton

The parish rooms, Church Street, Market Drayton, TF9 1AF. Telephone: 01630 654007. Open: Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am to 10.30am.

Food can also be donated at Asda in Stafford Street, Co-op in Loggerheads, Morrison’s in Maer Lane, Sainsbury’s in Shrewsbury Road, and Savers Health and Beauty in Oak Court.

• Oswestry and Borders

56 Beatrice Street, Oswestry, SY11 1QW. Telephone: 01691 671940. Email: referrals@oswestryandborders.foodbank.org. Open: Mondays and Thursdays 11am to 2pm.

Donations can also be taken to Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and One Stop Shoop in Oswestry, St Oswald’s vicarage, and Stan’s Supermarket in St Martin’s. Many churches in the town also accept donations.

• Whitchurch

Bargates Hall, Church Street, Whitchurch, SY13 1LR. Telephone: 01948 663943. Email: info@whitchurch.foodbank.org.uk. Open: Tuesdays and Fridays, 9.30am to 11.30am.

• Shrewsbury

Barnabas Community Projects, Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury, SY3 7DN Telephone: 01743 343336 or 07421745857. Open for donations: Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, 9.30am to 12pm., Wednesdays 5-7pm.

Donations can also be taken to the town’s branches of Asda, Co-op, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s.

In north Shrewsbury, The Lantern, Meadow Farm Drive, Shrewsbury, SY1 4NG. It is open on Monday 10.30am to noon

• Welshpool and District

Church Rd, Welshpool, SY21 7LN. Telephone: 01938 536379. Open: 8am to 8pm, please leave donations under arches at the entrance; donations can also be taken to Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s in Welshpool, and Tesco in Newtown.

WHAT TO BUY:

For those unsure of what items are needed and suitable, here is an easy-to-follow list of the most useful products to donate to our very worthy causes:

CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS

• Breakfast cereal

• (preferably non-sugared)

• Milk (UHT or powder, preferably

• semi-skimmed)

• Jam, marmalade

• Fruit Juice (long-life)

• Small jars of coffee

• Hot chocolate

• Tinned meat

• (ham,corned beef, Spam)

• Tinned ready meals

• (chilli, meatballs, stew)

• Tinned vegetarian ready meals

• (curry, ratatouille, macaroni cheese) Packets of mashed potato/tinned potatoes

• Tinned vegetables Tinned fish

• (tuna, mackerel, salmon & sardines)

• Pasta

• Rice

• Pasta sauce/ cooking sauces

• Tinned fruit (in juice preferably)

• Tinned rice pudding/custard

• Healthy snacks

• (small boxes of raisins/apricots)

• Biscuits, crackers, crispbreads

TOILETRIES

• Deodorants

• Shampoo

• Shower Gel

• Soap

• Toothbrushes

• Toothpaste

• Sanitary towels