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Waveney Foodbank opens second warehouse 

Waveney Foodbank is opening a second warehouse to ensure people living in Bungay, Beccles, Halesworth and Poringland are not going hungry after a huge 50% increase in users.

Matthew Scade, project manager, said: “The need has increased up 50% from last year and 6900% in seven years. We recently set two new records, where we fed 112 people on a single day and 390 in the same week.
 
"We had been praying about a newer facility for a few weeks to cover the Beccles area, but were unable to commit due to a lack of funding. However about three weeks later, completely out of the blue, someone donated enough to pay for a new van and the fitting out of the warehouse. Since then we’ve had another couple of people make regular standing orders to cover 40% of the ongoing rent."
 
WaveneyFoodbankMattScadeVan750"We rely on donations of food and financial commitments by members of the public and local businesses - without these we couldn’t feed people who are in crisis," said Matthew.
 
The second warehouse opened on Saturday, February 1, in Ilketshall St Andrew to serve their distribution centres. New distribution centres are set to open in Beccles at Hungate church (opening on February 7) and one at Beccles Baptist Church (later in the year),
 
Matthew said: “We have a fantastic team in place at Ilketshall and look forward to working alongside local agencies and churches who help identify and feed those in need.
 
Hughes in Beccles donated a fridge and a kettle and the signage on the new van was paid for by Diss van centre.
 
Waveney, like other foodbanks, is run with a Christian ethos.
 
To find out more about the community outreach running alongside foodbank, including community lunches, community larder and Infant clothing, or to offer financial support, visit:
waveney.foodbank.org.uk or email: info@waveney.foodbank.org.uk
 
Pictured above is Matthew Scade receiving a new kettle from Hughes at the new Waveney Foodbank warehouse and, top, the first warehouse at Eye.
 


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