‘Overwhelming’ public support for Bexhill Foodbank following councillor’s Facebook appeal

Cllr Lynn Langlands said she had collected a third of a ton of food donated by residents since putting out her appeal.

Last month Bexhill Foodbank issued a plea for help as it ran desperately low on essential supplies due to panic-buying at supermarkets caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cllr Langlands, who represents Bexhill Kewhurst ward, said: “I became increasingly aware that the additional demands made on Bexhill Foodbank were unsustainable if residents were self-isolating and acquiring most of their groceries online.

“Dropping food into the foodbank or depositing some at a supermarket collection point when you were limited in what you could purchase was impacting on maintaining foodbank stocks.

“It was at this point I put out a plea on Facebook for folk to leave any dry or tinned food that they could spare on their doorstep, and I would collect it for the foodbank.

“The response was overwhelming, and in the first two days I collected a third of a ton of food, which would feed 30 people for three days.

“The generosity and kindness shown by the community has been very humbling, and many residents have offered to make a regular donation while we have this period of lockdown, if I am able to collect.

“The Bexhill Community Bus (yellow bus) offered its vehicle to collect the donations, so on Tuesday afternoon I went out collecting again and received a further 40 bags and five boxes of food for the Bexhill Foodbank.

“There are residents in Bexhill who are making sure we can all have food to eat, and in a time when we have employment uncertainty, families are at home all the time and in some cases suffering from a serious lack of income, this is one priority I feel we must address.

“Donations for the foodbank need to be in-date dry goods or tins, and tinned meat and vegetables are a priority for the foodbank at this time.

“I will be out in the Town Bus on Tuesday afternoons, so if anyone wants to donate please contact me at [email protected].

Read more:

Coronavirus: Plea for help from Bexhill Foodbank.

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