Burgess Hill Community Foodbank relocates to new premises

Its new depot and distribution point can now be found in Church Walk, opposite the Help Point.

Before lockdown the operation was based in St John’s Spire Church and Cafe, and when that was closed due to the pandemic, it moved temporarily to provide vital provisions for the soaring number of families in need from the Salvation Army Hall in Cyprus Road.

Now, thanks to support from Robert Eggleston, the town council, town centre developer NewRiver and Burgess Hill District Lions Club, the food bank has relocated to a redundant cafe, which has been refurbished largely by town council employees.

Joe Wilkinson, chair of trustees, said: “After a great effort from many volunteers we have consolidated our premises in one central place.

“This move will greatly enhance our operations in Burgess Hill which have been hampered recently by having a storage and sorting depot devoid of the usual heat light and water for several years.

“And since lockdown we have been relying on the generosity of the Salvation Army to provide premises from which we could distribute.

“We can now continue to serve the needs of those in food poverty in Burgess Hill and the surrounding villages in these challenging times.”

The food bank has been operating since 2013, and has other distribution hubs in Hurstpierpoint and Hassocks – but like many organisations, it has been majorly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many volunteers stood down as they were classified as vulnerable – and the demand for supplies increased massively at the start of lockdown and remained that way for three months.

While the demand for supplies has subsequently reduced, numbers are still higher than pre-lockdown levels, a spokesman said.

The food bank has been using electronic vouchers and the Burgess Hill Helper Army was brought in to deliver supplies to people in isolation.

Burgess Hill Town Council donated £1,807.89 towards the food bank. Their maintenance team also helped us with a substantial part of the refurbishment.

Burgess Hill District Lions Club also donated £1,807.89. This included a £1,000 grant from the Lions Clubs Foundation – part of a much larger commitment by the foundation to support local communities in the British Isles during the Covid-19 crisis.

Ken Saunders, president of the club, said: “We have been pleased to work in partnership with the Burgess Hill Town Council and the food bank to ensure that the facilities were moved to their much-needed new premises in Church Walk.

“This is a significant sum of money that we are putting to good use to continue to support our local communities during these difficult times of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“In our 65th year as a club we were proud that our fundraising activities, supported by the Book Den in Church Walk, enabled us to donate £75,000 to local organisations and individuals in needs.”

Lion Stewart Sherman-Kahn, chair of trustees of the Lions Clubs Foundation, added: “When a humanitarian crisis strikes, the Lions Clubs Foundation of the British Isles works with and are guided by their own Lions members who are ordinary people actively working at the heart of their communities.”

The new food depot and distribution point in Church Walk is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11am to 1pm.

For more information, please visit www.burgesshillfoodbank.org.uk.

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