Coventry Foodbank receives kitchen upgrade boost

Coventry Foodbank has won the materials it needs to finish its new kitchen facility.

The charity, which has 15 foodbank centres across Coventry, has scooped £500 worth of building materials from Selco through our Community Heroes campaign.

Canon Gavin Kibble MBE, project director at Coventry Foodbank, said the prize had come at a perfect time as the group battles against reduced donations and higher demand.

Gavin said: “We are extremely grateful to Selco for this donation.

“Coventry Foodbank is one of the largest foodbanks in the UK, feeding around 2,500 people each month, and around 30,000 a year.

“Demand has increased by about 20% since the start of the economic crisis. Our storage shelves at our warehouse on Binley Industrial Estate should be full at this time of year but with the increased demands placed upon us we are having very real problems.

“Our new kitchen will allow us to repurpose near end-of-life food by making it into a meal that we can then send out into our food network.

“These materials from Selco will allow us to finish the kitchen. Anything left over will be used at our new community pantry in Camp Hill.”

Coventry Foodbank, part of the humanitarian charity Feed The Hungry UK, is one of 12 organisations that we are awarding £500 worth of building materials to in our Community Heroes campaign.

It will go head-to-head with the 11 other Community Heroes winners in a public vote in the new year to win £5,000 in cash, or £1,000 as runner-up.

Coventry Foodbank said should it win the £5,000 jackpot the cash would be used to buy a van for transporting food around the city.

Carine Jessamine, Selco marketing director, said: “We’re really pleased to support Coventry Foodbank, which does incredible work feeding so many people across the city.

“It is no surprise that foodbank usage has increased as the cost of living crisis bites. Coventry Foodbank has a challenge on its hands to keep up with demand. This new kitchen will play a part in that by reducing waste, and we’re delighted to be involved.”

Selco’s Coventry branch is found on Austin Drive.

Other Community Heroes winners so far this year include Haxby & Wigginton Youth & Community Association, St John Ambulance Cymru and Punk Against Poverty CIC.

The Community Heroes application process has now closed.