Food Bank appeals for volunteers as more Ludlow families need help
A food bank in south Shropshire is appealing for volunteers to pick up food donations made across the area.
Volunteers will work as part of a Ludlow Food Bank team, with and a team leader, to collect donations from the donation points around the town, especially Tesco.
Ruth Davies, co-ordinator at Ludlow Food Bank said: "We are asking for people to join the team to pick up the food donations, not to make up the food parcels.
"They would go to the collection points and bring it to the Food Bank. They will be in a team of people, and have a lanyard with their names on. The head of the team alerts the supermarket to the fact they are going.
"We are also looking for people to do some shopping for us. They would have to be able to buy the shopping and then we could pay them back. We have a stock manager who contacts people who do the shopping for us when we are in need of something that has not been donated."
Changing demands on the Food Bank services show how the cost of living crisis is biting deeper, says Ruth.
"We are seeing more families now and fewer single people," she said. "It means the quantity of food we are giving out is more at the same time as our donors have less money to spend.
"The food comes in and it goes out straight away. During the pandemic we were receiving some enormous donations, there was a lot of stuff coming in to the point that it got ridiculous.
"But now there is not that sort of official help we are back to being totally dependent on donations from people who are needing the money to pay their own gas bills."
Ruth added: "People have been incredible, so amazingly generous with their donations and so kind but we are facing a sort of pincer movement."
Since 2010, Ruth says the Ludlow Food Bank has seen a tenfold increase in the help they give out.
"There used to be food banks just in Leominster, Ludlow and Shrewsbury but now they are all over the place and the area we cover has shrunk to just Ludlow. Yet we are giving out more. It's startling."
To volunteer at Ludlow Food Bank or to find out more information email collections@ludlowfoodbank.co.uk
The food bank runs an open table event on the first Monday of every month, unless it is a bank holiday.
It is held at the Rockspring Community Centre from 1pm to 2.30pm.
Free refreshments are provided as well as a number of agencies to get support and advice from including Connexus, CAP and Citizen’s Advice.
There is also the chance to purchase a bag of food for £1, taken from the surplus and damaged stock from the Food Bank.
The food bank in Ludlow is a ministry of Ludlow Baptist Church, but is supported by all the churches in Ludlow.
They accept food types including: Tea, coffee, sugar, UHT milk, squash, tinned meals, sachet soups, rice, noodles, tinned meat, tinned fish, pasta, cereal, jam, marmalade, honey, peanut butter and chocolate spread, treats, toiletries, period products, nappies, baby essentials, toilet roll, dog and cat food, free from products.
