OSWESTRY Food Bank is helping more than 60 people a month to survive the economic recession – and the figure is rising.


Organisers say the generosity of stores, schools and individuals have helped the food bank assist 608 desperate people since the scheme started 10 months ago.
 

Now at harvest festival time, the shelves of the new premises in Beatrice Street are set to be re-plenished with donations from local schools and churches.
 

“We don’t take a lot of fresh produce but people have become aware of that. We get a lot of food that harvest festivals give us and we get a really good boost in stock,” said Gill Richards, one of the scheme’s founders.
 

In addition, 22 churches have a bin in their entrance where people can place donations and the public also play a vital part.
 

“Sainsbury’s have taken food banks on as their charity of the year and have a place where people can place donated items,” she explained.
 

The roots of the scheme go back several years to the crisis of confidence in world’s finances.
 

“I felt there were bad times coming in the country and these kept growing and growing. Together with a friend of mine we started to look around for a property and we formed a committee. Churches Together took it on as a project the April before last,” she said.
 

Oswestry Food Bank now has a management committee of eight and a further eight volunteers who make sure the food goes to where it is most needed.
The foodbank moved from the Kingswell Centre to premises in Beatrice Street recently where food is handed out on production of a voucher issued by any one of 32 agencies including Social Services, CAB, Shropshire Council and the JobCentre.


“People can be left without money or food, so they are supported with crisis loans or food vouchers,” Gill explained.
 

However, food is not given out willy-nilly. It is a very tightly controlled system with everything coming in being weighed before being issued along guidelines and in quantities pre-set by the charity’s advisors, the global foodbank networking scheme - The Trussell Trust.
If anyone turns up at the shop without vouchers on Monday and Thursday between 10.30am and 1pm, the volunteers will try and put them in contact with one of the voucher issuing agencies to see if they qualify.
 

“We face a lot of people with desperate needs and people are welcome to come in and talk to us about it. We are happy to be here to help,” Gill added.