Doncaster Foodbank has received a generous £1,500 donation from local housebuilder, Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, as part of its Community Fund initiative.
The foodbank started in 2013 and provides massive support all around Doncaster. During the last financial year, they fed over 8,000 people via their three foodbank centres in Doncaster City – a figure which had doubled from the previous year’s 4089 and this year’s figures are already showing no sign of slowing down.
Poverty is an increasing issue with around one in five of the UK population living below the poverty line1 with Doncaster being named the sixth most vulnerable place to live in the UK due to the cost of living crisis.2
The donation will go towards stock purchases, such as food items and toiletries to help fulfil the emergency food parcels they issue to people facing food poverty across Doncaster.
Each emergency food parcel is designed to provide three nutritionally balanced meals per day for three days, per person. Barratt Developments’ £1,500 donation to the food bank can help feed around 167 people.
The Barratt Developments Community Fund is an initiative that aims to support the communities in which the housebuilder operates, with a different local charity chosen each month.
Leonna Hardcastle, Sales Manager at Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, commented: “Doncaster Foodbank is doing an amazing job providing excellent support all around the city.
“The foodbank is so important to the people of the city and it is hard work, as it is not free to run, so we are pleased to support them with this donation. We understand there is a rise in demand with the cost of living crisis and we hope that our donation will help continue their excellent work.”
Julie Poland, Project Manager, said: “The demand for our service is rising weekly and this is being met with a substantial drop in food donations unfortunately, as everyone feels the impact of the current cost of living crisis.
“Without donations like yours, we would indeed struggle to support the growing queue of desperate people who attend our centres each week. With sincere thanks from all of us here, on behalf of our clients and our amazing volunteer team that nourishes them.
Barratt Developments, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, has multiple developments within Doncaster, including Park Edge, Kings Lodge and Edwin Vale in Hatfield, Lancaster Gardens in Harworth and Torne Farm in Rossington