We owe a big debt of gratitude to Heart of England Community Foundation who awarded us a Coronavirus Resilience Grant of £3,000 in April to support the re-location of the Foodbank to its temporary home at Stratford Methodist Church. We are also very grateful to the grants team at Heart of England Community Foundation who were extremely helpful in supporting us, promptly answering questions and providing advice, which was very much appreciated during a very stressful time.
When lockdown was swiftly introduced in mid-March, Stratford Foodbank was affected, as we all were, massively. As as a fundamental support agency in the town for those who struggle during ‘normal’ times, it was vital that the support was able to continue so procedures were initially put in place in order that we could function with new social distancing rules and hygiene practices to keep clients and volunteers safe.
It quickly became apparent to the board of Trustees that the Foodbank’s essential operations from their well-established home in Tesco’s car park were not going to be suitable for the foreseeable future, as the new restrictions and the size of the portacabins meant that health and safety guidelines could not be met effectively.
Stratford Methodist Church very kindly offered us temporary use of their premises, for which we continue to be incredibly grateful. However, this resulted in substantial relocation costs, for example additional equipment for security, storage and recording of stock were needed, as well as items to ensure that the car park at the church was covid-secure and essential signage. Cleaning products for use during and after foodbank sessions; hand sanitiser and wipes as well as protective equipment were also made available.
There were many challenges for everyone during the transition to a new way of working.
Management and Trustees started to work remotely and clearly virtual communication was vital, ensuring that volunteers were co-ordinated and the service to our clients remained largely uninterrupted as much as possible. Referrals were moved online to minimise contact which necessitated an IT upgrade and additional devices. None of these costs could have been foreseen and, for a small charity such as the foodbank that relies on donations, had a massive impact.
The Coronavirus Resilience Grant that we received from Heart of England covered all of the costs associated with the re-location, some described above, to ensure the continued running of the vital service which we provide in the community. Without this financial support, it would have been an even more challenging time for everyone, so once again, heartfelt thanks to everyone at Heart of England for everything you have done to enable us to help those who need it most.
