Stratford Foodbank has announced its intention to move to the Fred Winters Centre as a key partner in Stratford’s new Housing Plus Project. With year on year increases in demands for their services the Foodbank had already made known their desire to find a new home to provide better facilities for both clients and volunteers.
Foodbank Manager Marion Homer said,
“I believe this is a huge step forward for our charity – our Trustees were entirely right to accept the invitation to be part of this innovative partnership. The opportunity to work closely with key referral agencies, such as Citizens Advice, Change Grow Live, P3, Stratford District Council Housing, and Orbit Housing will bring huge benefits to our clients. It is a credit to the work of our volunteers that the Housing Plus partners have recognised our Foodbank as an integral part in preventing homelessness and relieving hardship in the local area.”
Nick Barter, Trustee Chairman, summed up the Trustees’ decision to join the Housing Plus project operating out of the Fred Winters Centre.
“We are delighted to join the Housing Plus project. Being part of this project will provide us with much needed additional space and the important opportunity of working more closely with other service providers in the town. Our service of providing emergency food parcels to people and families in need has been subject to an ever increasing demand. In 2019 we provided an average of 255 parcels per month through our current distribution centre on Tesco car park. This has been achieved through the hard work of more than 120 volunteers, our trustees and Manager Marion Homer.
“Our vision for the Foodbank is to continue and enhance the current service, but also to work more closely with other service providers so that the causes of the hardship can be investigated and potentially eliminated. Our long term vision must be to try to remove the need for this kind of emergency food provision.”
On Friday 6th September, from 2.30-5.30pm, the first public consultation on the Housing Plus project operating out of the Fred Winters Centre will take place at the Town Hall. This is public event but it is hoped that foodbank volunteers and supporters will attend to see the plans for the building and how the Foodbank will be housed within it. Foodbank Manager Marion Homer will be attendance, as will Foodbank Trustees.
To read a Q&A on the move click here
