Fundraising for an Advice Worker

Looking ahead, our plans are underway for our big move towards the end of 2018. Our plan is to set up a Social Justice Hub in the old church hall at St. Andrew’s Church in Avonmouth. We will house a much bigger main office here and a much needed main food warehouse. All our four outlets will remain in operation, but we will have this hub to expand and grow our services. We are going to use this as an opportunity to expand our ‘Eat Well, Spend Less” course, and also encourage and grow other support and advice services for our clients.

How can you help? Well, our most immediate need with the roll out of ‘Universal Credit’ in Bristol in September is that we would like to make sure we have a trained advice worker, employed and in place at all of our Foodbank Centres during opening. We also want to have some pre-bookable appointment times available too. With this in mind we are trying to raise £30 000 to cover this post for three years in the first instance.

Please could you spare £5 or £10 a month? A number of grant applications have gone in, but we would also like to try and increase our standing orders to support this longer term. Could you help us? Please find our standing order form attached if you would like to donate. Or you can donate online at www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/bristolnwfoodbank. Your help will make all the difference. What will happen with the UC roll out in September 2018? Those on benefits will start to apply for UC instead of legacy benefits. It’s hard to know the impact this will have on our Foodbank. The gap between benefits has meant that in other parts of the country where UC is now operating, many Foodbank’s have seen large increases in usage, some up 50%. We are planning ahead and are trying to get an advice worker employed and in post before then. Any financial help would have a major impact on those we are serving at our Foodbank Centres. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Easter & thank you once again for your kind support. Emma Murray Foodbank Manager