Community | COVID-19

Rotary clubs rally behind food banks

Rotary clubs rally behind food banks

Hundreds of Rotary clubs across Great Britain & Ireland are directly responding to the coronavirus crisis by supporting foodbanks.

As with many Rotary clubs around these isles, Llandudno Rotary is meeting online each week.

However, the North Wales club is also focusing on how they can help the valiant efforts of the Llandudno food banks.

The club are working with two food banks – ‘Hope Restored’ at the old Baptist Church in West Shore and Ty Hapus, which operates out of the old Ysgol John Bright Sports Hall in Cwm Road.

Llandudno Rotary are working with two food banks – ‘Hope Restored’ at the old Baptist Church

The club has donated £300 to help the work of the ‘Hope Restored’ food bank.

Rotarian Rosalind Hopewell is to work with Ty Hapus using a further £300 donated by the club to buy food.

Elthorne-Hillingdon Rotary is typical of many clubs who are donating their weekly dinner money towards the local foodbank. The Middlesex club has just donated £700 with more to come to the Yiewsley & West Drayton food bank.

And neighbouring Uxbridge Rotary Club has made a £2,000 donation to the Hillingdon Foodbank which, according to club secretary, Richard Hansom, is really under pressure.

Both clubs are part of District 1090 which has raised in excess of £20,000 for foodbanks across the Thames Valley has part of a co-ordinated effort.

Frome Town Rotary has also purchased felt tip pens, glue sticks and craft supplies. These are going directly to Social Workers working for vulnerable children

In Somerset, newly established Frome Town Rotary has been working with the charity Fair Frome. This works on a number of community projects, but chiefly the charity runs a foodbank.

“Coronavirus is already placing a huge strain on our community, and those who are already struggling will be hit hardest,” said the charity.

“Fair Frome is here to help as many people as possible during this crisis, but it’s having an impact on us too.  Demand will inevitably rise, but many of our volunteers are older and self-isolating and we have to keep everyone safe.

“For the moment, the Food Bank is our number one priority and we are working as hard as we can to ensure that this can keep going and cope with demand.”

That has prompted Frome Town Rotary to step in to help Fair Frome.

Coronavirus is already placing a huge strain on our community, and those who are already struggling will be hit hardest.”

Rebecca Bird said that they were assisting the charity in a number of ways. “Our members have stacked shelves and packed bags at the food bank,” she said. “We’ve delivered food bags to those who can’t get out, collected prescriptions and been shopping.

“Frome Town Rotary has also purchased felt tip pens, glue sticks and craft supplies. These are going directly to Social Workers working for vulnerable children and families to support them through the lockdown.

“We’re very grateful to Dennis Maps for the paper and colouring sheets.”