Co-operative team volunteers with Chichester Food Bank

The warehouse team benefitted from the extra volunteers, who are from The Southern Co-operative, on August 3.

They pulled together to create 50 food parcels for those in need.

The Southern Co-operative colleagues, including directors, chief operating officers and the chief executive, helped to sort goods, clean and clear shelves for new goods and put together 50 food packs, weighing in at 455.4kg.

Keith Selby, a long-term volunteer for the Chichester Food Bank warehouse, said: “It is extremely important that we have groups of people like the volunteers today who give up their time to help us as our warehouse is run by volunteers.

“From a small beginning, we have become a lifeline for many people and rely solely on donations and volunteer help.”

The Chichester Trussell Trust Food Bank’s warehouse is run entirely by volunteers and has fed 7,227 people, of which 4,298 were adults and 2,929 were children, by providing 2,998 food parcels since its inception in September 2012.

Mark Smith, chief executive of The Southern Co-operative who took part in the volunteering, said: “Across our food stores and funeral homes, we have a large quantity of food bank drop off points, so it has been fantastic to come here today and see, help and be a part of the next stages of the process.”

The food parcels created by The Southern Co-operative colleagues contained a variety of essential food products, including pasta, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tinned meat, baked beans and more. Each parcel includes approximately three days’ worth of food and weighs about 9kg.

The Chichester Food Bank foodbank is a project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the local area.

It provided three days worth of nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis.

It is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

For more information about Chichester Food Bank, visit chichesterdistrict.foodbank.org.uk.

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