Leading housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes has donated £1,500 to Abingdon Foodbank, which, as part of The Trussell Trust, aims to combat poverty and hunger across Abingdon and surrounding areas.
The funds donated went towards the charity’s Winter Support Programme, which offered additional care to those in need over the colder months by supplying bedding, hats, gloves and providing a warm community place to meet for a few hours per week. Some of the money will also go towards the foodbank’s long term project of improving and expanding its warehouse to incorporate a meeting space for people supported by the charity.
The donation came as part of the Barratt Developments Plc Charitable Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates. Hilary Beale, Manager of Abingdon Foodbank, said: “We were delighted when we heard about the donation from Barratt and David Wilson Homes, and we certainly wish to thank them for their thoughtfulness.
“We are already engaging with one or two newcomers to Abingdon who are residing in newly built homes, and it’s good to think that they will have been helped through the kindness of the company.” According to The Trussell Trust, more emergency food parcels were given out to people during April to September 2022 than ever before for this time of year, with more than 320,000 people having been forced to access help from the foodbank network for the first time.
As a result of the recent rise in the cost of living, The Trussell Trust is expecting that this winter will be the hardest yet for food banks and the people it supports. Abingdon Foodbank initially started as an independent foodbank in 2009, until it joined The Trussell Trust in 2020.
The local charity currently has over 50 volunteers who provide support for around 70 people per week, giving them both tinned and packaged food, as well as fresh bread, butter, cheese, eggs, fruit and vegetables, thanks to the generosity of donors. Campbell Gregg, Managing Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Southern, said: “We are currently living in extremely challenging times, and as a leading housebuilder we see it as our duty to help the communities in which we build as best as we can.
“We hope that our donation enables Abingdon Foodbank to continue providing the excellent services it does to those in need.”
Further information about Abingdon Foodbank and the work it does within the local community can be found on their website. Barratt and David Wilson Homes is currently building several homes in Abingdon at Kings Gate, Abbey Fields (Barratt Homes) and Abbey Fields (David Wilson Homes).