ALMOST half the people fed by Worcester’s Foodbank in the past 12 months were children, new figures have revealed,
The number was confirmed as Worcestershire County Cricket Club confirmed the Lowesmoor lifeline as its charity of the year for 2023.
As has been the case for several years, the club recently allowed charitable causes to apply for support and received an overwhelming response.
Worcester Foodbank provides emergency food and support to people locked in poverty or crisis by giving them three days of nutritionally-balanced emergency food.
It also offers toiletries to help combat hygiene poverty, as well as cleaning products and cooking bags to encourage families to cook together and have a greater enjoyment of the food they offer.
Use of Worcester Foodbank has increased 35 per cent over the past year, and they forecast this will continue to rise in the current economic climate.
Clients are referred to them by any one of more than 100 agencies, and food donations are used entirely for the support of their clients by providing food parcels.
With costs totalling more than £200,000 a year, they are currently funded by individuals, churches, other charities, and local companies and organisations.
The centre has fed more than 15,000 people over the past 12 months, 40 per cent of who were children. In the past 12 months alone, they have given away more than 130 tonnes of food, providing 190,000 meals.
The Pears will also use the partnership with Worcester Foodbank to link up with other foodbanks around Worcestershire and the Black Country to help support them throughout the year.
Worcestershire CCC’s head of commercial and operations David Hoskins said: “The club is very proud of its charitable work, and we are committed to helping those in the community which need it most.
“The club was again inundated with applications to become our charity partner, and we are delighted to be partnering with Worcester Foodbank throughout 2023.
“They do a huge amount of work with those most in need across the community, and we are very much looking forward to giving them our support.”
Maggie Collins, of the Worcester Foodbank, said: “We are hugely excited to be announced as Worcestershire County Cricket Club’s charity partner for 2023.
“We are looking forward to working with the club to promote awareness of everything the centre does.”
