The Midcounties Co-operative Steps Up Support for Its Food Bank Partners

The Midcounties Co-operative has donated another £10,000 to local food banks from its food bank fund, which was launched at the start of the pandemic to help ensure all those in need could continue to access essential supplies.

This takes the total donated through the fund to £50,000, helping more than 50 of its food bank partners.

After launching its food bank fund in spring last year, with an opening contribution of £25,000, The Midcounties Co-operative reopened it in December to ensure it could help food banks across its communities in the challenging month of January.

The monetary support is in addition to product donations that the Society, its members and customers have also continued with throughout the pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, Midcounties Co-operative has provided a wealth of support to communities, including funding over £40,000 worth of childcare support for key workers, donating £5,000 worth of smartphones to help vulnerable people access support, and launching a £75,000 Community Restart Fund where charities and community groups could apply for emergency financial support.

Phil Ponsonby, chief executive at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Local food banks provide a vital service to the community but we know that they are currently under huge pressure, with more people than ever needing their help.

At the same time, many food banks are struggling for donations.

Our members, colleagues and customers have shown amazing generosity and I hope these donations will go some way to helping the good work by the amazing volunteers at our food bank partners.

At times like these, it’s all too easy for families experiencing financial difficulties to fall into food poverty, so its really heartening to see communities coming together to help each other through this crisis.”

The Midcounties Co-operative has also worked with local volunteers to make more than 100,000 free food deliveries to people who are self-isolating since the pandemic began.