A popular foodbank collection that had to be suspended when the Covid pandemic hit will be back in its regular place in Pudsey town centre this Saturday.
The group of volunteers from Pudsey Labour Party had been collecting for local foodbanks for nearly two years before the first lockdown forced them to stop. Now that social distancing regulations have been relaxed, they have reinstated their monthly collections on Church Lane.
One of the volunteers, Chris Dunford-Kelk, said:
“Sadly, the need for foodbanks had grown a huge amount over the ten years before the pandemic. Many people find themselves without enough money to feed themselves and their families.
“Anyone can find themselves in need, especially with the growth in insecure work and zero-hour contracts, and with the government choosing to introduce a delay before Universal Credit was paid to those who needed it. Many people felt the brunt of this during the lockdowns.
“When we were doing our collections before, some people wanted to know that what they were giving was going directly to people who needed it in Pudsey.
“We’re now collecting for Pudsey Community Project, which stepped up to help those people who were in the greatest need over the last year and have done an amazing job. Some of our group have been volunteering with and giving to the Project over the last year, and we’re really pleased we can help them further with our monthly collections.”
Whilst anyone can donate food directly to the project at any time during the month, having a collection in the town centre raises awareness of the need to help. Mr Dunford-Kelk added:
“We have always been overwhelmed by the willingness of the people of Pudsey to donate generously to people who are in need, and some people have made a point of saying that they were glad there was someone there to help them when they needed it, and how pleased they are to be able to give something towards those who need it now.”
Pudsey Community Project are providing the volunteers with a list of items they particularly need each month. For July, this is:
- Tinned meat (things like chilli con carne or stew etc)
- Jars of sauce (pasta sauces or curry sauce etc)
- Tinned vegetables (except peas, but there’s a need for sweetcorn, carrots or mushrooms)
- Tinned soup
- Cooking oil
- Cordial / squash
- Tinned puddings (rice pudding, jelly, custard, microwave sponge puds etc)
- Biscuits
- Sliced loaves, especially brown bread
- Chocolate / treats
- Crisps
- Toothbrushes
- Shampoo
- Cat food (they have plenty of dog food but less cat food – tins / pouches needed especially)
- Size 5 nappies
- Toilet paper
- Baked beans
Currently, they don’t need pasta, tea, spaghetti hoops, bottled water and mushy peas.
Disgusting how conservatives tried to put a stop to the collection point
A very much divided place to live now if you’re not a member of the Conservatives silly little groups then you don’t know what’s going on I personally aren’t affected but the older people are !!!
It wasn’t the Conservatives who objected to the collections in the bus station, It was Metro. I walk around regularly, and I don’t see it divided. And I am one of the older group. And if it is divided then why is Pudsey a hot spot for people wanting to buy properties in Pudsey and the local area?