Christmas Food Hampers to help Burgess Hill families in need: town council calls for food donations

The partnership is asking local businesses, schools, churches and others to collect food items from a list to make up Christmas Food Hampers.

These hampers will then be delivered to around 260 families and individuals in the Burgess Hill area in time for this year’s festive season.

Joe Wilkinson, chair of trustees at Burgess Hill Community Food Bank, said: “The numbers of families coming to the foodbank recently have been two or three times as high as last year. It is evident that there will be many families in difficulties this Christmas, and we are delighted to give our usual support in trying to give them some ‘good cheer’ in the Christmas season.”

The groups organising this initiative include: Burgess Hill District Lions Club, The King's Church Mid Sussex, Burgess Hill Community Food Bank, Burgess Hill Town Council and Burgess Hill Youth. Sussex Clubs for Young People are also offering support with their Purple Bus to help with transporting food.

Alan Ranger, the president of Burgess Hill District Lions Club, said his members are pleased to once again provide financial support for an important initiative that will help some families have a better Christmas.

The food items needed include: sugar, tea bags/instant coffee, tinned vegetables, pasta sauces, tinned meat, tinned fruit, rice pudding and UHT milk.

To find out more about this initiative and to see more of the items on the list visit www.burgesshill.gov.uk/town-community/christmas-hamper-project.