A West Norfolk food bank is opening a second town satellite distribution centre to help struggling families and individuals.
The South Lynn centre of King’s Lynn Food Bank will open on Monday, September 8, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
It will be based at the Cornerstone Baptist Church, opening just on Mondays initially, offering a place to collect food parcels, be signposted on to other helpful services, and the chance to sit, have a cuppa and a conversation.
This extra distribution point comes a few months after the food bank opened in January at St Faith’s Gaywood Centre on Wednesdays and, at the time, there was an idea to open something similar at the other side of town.
Helen Gilbert, strategic project manager at Lynn food bank, said: “There is a need both at St Faith’s and South Lynn. These are some of the areas where there is poverty in Lynn. The St Faith’s centre has been amazing.”
Staff and volunteers there have been able to signpost people on to other services by engaging in conversation – and having an area where they can enjoy a cuppa and chat is making all the difference.
Helen said this kind of service is “providing hope to people” as the aim is to point them towards other help which in turn means they may no longer need to keep coming back to the food bank.
An extra centre in South Lynn has been in the background for sometime, but Helen explained it was not possible to open both St Faith’s and Cornerstone at the same time.
She said Reverend June Love of Cornerstone and Rev Kyla Sorensen of St Faith’s were both very happy to reach out to the community.
The distribution point will be in the church café area, headed up by Rev June who will be helped by volunteers.
“Rev June is going to be the lead volunteer. I will be there for the first couple of months. We will be based in the café area, people will be greeted by a volunteer, be able to have a cup of tea while they wait for their food parcel and sit and have a conversation,” Helen said.
“We want it to be social as well. There are a lot of people who come to food banks and that might be the only conversation they get that week. While people are getting out we can find out more about them and signpost them to other help, debt, housing and budgeting.”
Rev June said: “I’m really glad we can host a food bank satellite at Cornerstone, King’s Lynn Baptist Church here in South Lynn. This side of town has real needs, and having access to the food bank here will make it so much easier for families to get the help they need without having to travel too far.
“At Cornerstone we want to be a place where people feel loved and supported – that’s why we run FISH, our free holiday breakfast club, and it’s why we’re starting an early years support café in January.
“As a church, our faith in Jesus inspires us to try and bless our community in practical ways, and the food bank is another way of doing that.”
Figures for the Lynn food bank show less people have used it from January to August this year compared to last year – a 26% drop in the number of parcels given out.
“We are providing parcels for fewer numbers of families this year but a greater proportion are going to single people – 46% this year so far,” said Helen, who hopes the overall drop is a result of the work being done to point people on to services which can help them achieve a better future.
“It could be some people aren’t struggling as much but we have really been pushing and focusing on making sure people get the information they need so they don’t have to keep coming back to us.”
Even though the figures are encouraging, Helen pointed out the number of people needing help from the food bank is still higher than it was before the cost of living crisis took hold.
“We have still got some way to go,” said Helen, adding food donations are still very much in demand.
“We have spent a lot this year on supplementing our food stocks. We are thankful for all the donations and financial donations we receive. We really do have some faithful donors. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
With harvest festivals taking place this month, Helen is hopeful stocks will be replenished. Food items and toiletries can be dropped off at supermarket collection points or brought to the food bank which is based at TS Vancouver off South Quay.
Items always needed include cooking sauces, tinned rice pudding, tinned meat and tinned fruit.
The food bank is also in need or more volunteers with a few hours to spare to help at the St Faith’s satellite on Wednesdays and also in the food bank warehouse at North Lynn on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
If you can help email the food bank at: info@kingslynn.foodbank.org.uk
