A second year for the Big Help Out – ‘Lend a Hand’ to our City’s food projects

After the success of the Big Help Out as part of the 2023 Coronation Celebrations, this year's “Lend a Hand” theme asks us not to be afraid of the word "volunteer" and to remember that just one small act of kindness can make a huge difference.

If you are in town, do your good deed for the day by donating some food on Guildhall Square!

Donations will be accepted by friendly volunteers between 10 am and 3 pm on Saturday, 8th June.

There are often big food drives for foodbanks, pantry projects, and community fridges around key events such as Easter and Christmas, but meeting demand in the months in between can be a huge challenge for these projects and charities.

Salisbury Pantry, run by Salisbury City Council, now serves 120 households per week, with nearly 400 households currently registered. At the Pantry, a basic shop contains a minimum of 15 items of tinned or packaged food, which means they need to get a minimum of 7200 items on their shelves every month. This gives an idea of the challenge faced by these local food projects to say open!

According to the Trussel Trust's recent year-end statistics, foodbank use nationally increased by 4% from the previous year. Locally, whilst Maria Stevenson, manager at Salisbury Foodbank, has seen a slight reduction in demand by 2% during the same period, Salisbury demand over the last 5 years has increased by 96%!

Old Sarum and Longhedge Pantry has been open for one year this month. This volunteer-run Pantry also sees more people each month, with 150 households registered to shop and access their much-needed space for a cup of tea and some support. 

Cllr Victoria Charleston, leader of Salisbury City Council, said, “I volunteered at last year’s Big Help Out and worked alongside a committed and enthusiastic team. I believe over 60 crates of food were collected, a testament to our generous residents. A year later, families across Salisbury still need support and I know our community will be generous enough to donate to the big help out again."

This year, the three food projects will be joined on the square by Acorn Community Bank, which will offer information about financial inclusion and the credit union service they provide. The F3 growing project, which provides fresh produce for the Salisbury Pantry, will also be there to provide information on how you can volunteer to help them get the freshest food imaginable to those who need it most! 

This Big Help Out event is coordinated by Salisbury City Council Communities Team who can be reached at bhc@salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk

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