People in Leeds and York can bank on another year of support from property development company, S Harrison.
The company has provided donations to two food banks that operate across York and Leeds and has been able to maximise its donation to Leeds South and East Foodbank and Bell Farm Foodbank by working with Tesco at Clifton Moor in York, who have helped to make up discounted consignments of food staples and Christmas treats.
Ann Scott, Managing Director at S Harrison, said: “We are currently working on projects in both cities and as a business, we believe we have a real responsibility to contribute to the local communities in and around our developments.
“It is not enough to simply provide the buildings and the spaces communities need to thrive. We are always pleased to help those who, often through no fault of their own, slip through the net and find themselves struggling. The foodbank movement is brilliant, and we want to help those who volunteer their time and resources to help others in need. Our donations will help those only-just-managing households to have a better Christmas.
“The cost-of-living crisis, exacerbated by the fuel-price hike, has hit families hard. Foodbanks are reporting an increase in demand for their services, often from those who in previous years have been donors themselves, and many of them are in work but barely managing. That’s why it is so important that those who can help do.
“We are very grateful to Tesco’s community champion, Jacqueline May, and her colleagues for all their help in getting the most out of our financial donation and packaging everything up for us to deliver.”
Leeds South and East Foodbank, which is part of the Trussell Trust, has five paid part time employees and 120 volunteers working in distribution centres across Leeds. Its development manager, Nathanya Lauerant, said: “This year things are tougher than ever. We normally see donations double around this time but this year that looks unlikely to happen. People are really feeling the pinch. We depend on the generosity of individuals and businesses across the region, like S Harrison, to support the work we do.”
The Bell Farm foodbank in York was set up in 2015 in response to the city’s flooding. Throughout the pandemic it was open seven days a week providing vital supplies to those in need, not just on the Bell Farm estate, but across the city. It is currently open six days a week and is part of a registered charity.
The foodbank arm is run entirely by unpaid volunteers, and it requires no referrals before those in need can access support. As well as providing extra support at Christmas time, in school holidays the foodbank also runs a holiday hunger club to provide nourishing meals for schoolchildren who might otherwise go without.
Hilary Platt, from Bell Farm Foodbank, said: “In the past couple of weeks we have seen a noticeable increase in demand with new people contacting us for help. We are near the hospital, and we even see hospital workers coming in for food parcels.
“We are mostly funded through grants, but we always welcome donations from organisations like S Harrison, especially around Christmas. Last year, we provided Christmas dinner parcels with turkey, vegetables and all the trimmings for around 1,000 people.”
