Publication Date: 23-01-2023 09:00
Bellway supports food bank in Swindon
A food bank in Swindon was able to provide extras for people using the service over Christmas and new year after financial support from local housebuilder Bellway.
Bellway, which is building new homes in Wroughton and is planning further homes off Wanborough Road in Swindon, donated £300 to Swindon Food Collective, based off Stonehill Green in the town.
The independent charity provides essential food boxes for people in Swindon or the surrounding area, who are suffering from financial hardship and finding it difficult to provide food for themselves, their family or dependants.
Cher Smith MBE, Swindon Food Collective Manager, said: “Bellway’s donation was a great bonus and helped to provide a few extras for the people who came to the food bank at Christmas time.
“In the last 12 months we have fed 9,410 people compared with 6,936 the previous year. Demand is high at present due to the current situations people are facing for one reason or another.
“We have opened three more distribution centres in 2022 to help meet demand and take the food nearer to where people live so that they don’t have to travel too far to get help.”
Swindon Food Collective now runs 11 distribution points across Swindon – in the town centre, Freshbrook, Penhill, Pinehurst, Abbey Meads, Liden, Whitbourne Avenue and Stratton St Margaret – and the wider area – at Lyneham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Highworth.
Rachel Way, Sales Manager for Bellway South West, said: “Swindon Food Collective is a well-established charity which does an incredible job fighting food poverty in Swindon and nearby areas.
“Fundraising makes up a large proportion of the charity’s income and donations are therefore essential in ensuring the food bank can provide the food parcels which make such a difference to so many people’s lives.
“As well as providing new housing in the Swindon area, we want to support a deserving charity which does so much to help people in need in Swindon and beyond.”
For information about Swindon Food Collective, visit https://www.swindonfoodcollective.org/.
For more information about Bellway’s Ridgeway Park development in Wroughton and its planned Redlands Grove development off Wanborough Road, Swindon, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-west.
