More than 650 people benefit from Burnley foodbank service as need deepens

The service, which is based from the Burnley Community Kitchen in the Charter Walk Shopping Centre, has seen demand quadruple since the more stringent social distancing measures were put into place on March 23rd, with 295 food parcels delivered in less than two weeks.

Those parcels have fed 655 people, 252 of which were children.

Referrals into the foodbank come via Burnley Together, a community hub that was established in partnership with Burnley Borough Council, Lancashire County Council, BPRCVS and Calico to co-ordinate help and support to vulnerable residents across the borough during the coronavirus outbreak.

Calico staff are operating the phone lines, while Burnley FC in the Community staff and staff from Burnley Football Club are volunteering on site at the foodbank to pack parcels.

As part of the combined offer, Burnley Leisure and CVS staff are distributing the food across the town from Monday to Saturday.

Helen Gurman, company secretary at Burnley FC in the Community, said: “We are proud to be working with fantastic partners across the town to deliver this service.

“Through the efforts of all the organisations involved in Burnley Together, we are managing to distribute parcels to the most vulnerable, many of whom are in isolation and would have no other means of getting food.

“But we need the continued support of the whole community to sustain this. By 3pm yesterday alone, we had received 60 referrals into the foodbank.

“We extend our thanks to every person who has donated either food or cash and we ask that you please continue that incredible effort as the situation becomes even more difficult in the weeks ahead.”

Anybody who needs support can visit www.burnleytogether.org.uk/ or call 01282 686402.

For anybody wishing to make a donation to the foodbank, collection points can be found in local Spar shops. However, these must only be visited for essential items. If you would like to make a cash donation, click here.