A new food bank in Cheltenham has responded to more than 1,000 requests for help in just six weeks.

The Springbank Community Food Bank, based at Springbank Community Resource Centre, was set up by local volunteers in response to the demand created by the coronavirus crisis.

During this period, 1,246 adults and 806 children have benefited from delivery of a food parcel. Most of the parcels have been delivered in the west of Cheltenham, but volunteers have also responded to requests from all over town and further afield.

And that's why Punchline has nominated them as our latest Business and Community Champion - an initiative backed by GFirst LEP, the Growth Hub, Gloucestershire County Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

As well as volunteers, the foodbank has also received support from several supermarkets, local businesses, charities and both Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Borough Councils.

Local councillor Suzanne Williams, who has been helping to deliver parcels, said: "People and families using this service are from the whole demographic range - young care leavers, older couples, average families, single parents, single adults, couples, large families and everyone in between."

Lyam Galpin and Faith Rooke-Mathews have been coordinating the volunteers.

Lyam said: "We have been continually amazed at the response we have had in our calls for help since we started back in March. 

"We now have a great pool of volunteers who are packing and delivering food parcels, collecting donations, sorting donations and investigating ways of sustaining the project for as long as possible. 

"The public have been incredibly generous with their donations of both food and money and for that we are incredibly grateful. We really couldn't do this without your help."

The food bank can be contacted on 07545 324225 or email: info@springbankfoodbank.org.

Send us your inspiring stories - you don't have to write them, just tell us about them and we will do the rest. Email beth@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk 

Punchline's Business and Community Champion Awards are sponsored by:

GFirstLEP

https://www.gfirstlep.com 

info@gfirstlep.com 

The Growth Hub Gloucestershire

https://www.thegrowthhub.biz 

talktous@thegrowthhub.biz 

Gloucestershire County Council

https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk 

customerservices@gloucestershire.gov.uk 

Gloucestershire OPCC

https://www.gloucestershire-pcc.gov.uk 

01452 754348