Medway Foodbank Moves To Bigger Home To Cope With Covid Demand

Medway Foodbank Moves To Bigger Home To Cope With Covid Demand

A foodbank has thanked businesses for their support after seeing a huge rise in demand during the pandemic.

Medway Foodbank has had to move to a bigger warehouse in Strood so it can store more food to cope with a 50% rise in usage compared to pre-Covid levels.

Medway Foodbank has seen a 50% rise in usage

Project manager Lorraine Schulze said: “Over the last few months we have been receiving calls from people who have never been out of work before, never applied for benefits before and who have never used a foodbank before.

“When I started in this role in 2018 we fed around 5,800 people that year. In 2020 we fed just over 12,400, with over 6,000 of those being children.”

She added: “We have had incredible support from local companies and organisations. They have helped us deliver food parcels, donated food to us, helped us to kit out our new warehouse and donated funds to us.”

The foodbank has recently been supported by KSL, along with help from suppliers and contractors Daikin, Jascom Electrical, and Greenmill, who have donated and installed aircon and heating in the new offices.

Steve Kinloch and Kevin Gregory of KSL at the new Medway depot

The charity, part of the Trussell Trust, is seeking financial support to help with the running costs of its new larger depot on Medway City Estate.

Visit www.medway.foodbank.org.uk to donate.