We don’t think anyone in our community should have to go hungry. That’s why here at BN5 Magazine we are supporting the charity Horsham Matters in providing Henfield Foodbank, a local base from which to collect and provide emergency food for those in crisis.
We launched the Henfield Foodbank deliveries with Horsham Matters back in August 2019, supported by the wonderful driver volunteers from the Henfield Lions and Henfield BP Guild. Since then, we have delivered over 200 boxes of emergency food provisions in Henfield.
In March 2020, just as the first Coronavirus lockdown hit, we launched collection points on Henfield High Street, working with Knight’s Budgens, One Stop Convenience Store and Stokes Newsagents. St Peter’s Church became a collection point in late November 2020. The wonderful residents of Henfield have massively supported the Henfield Foodbank since then, donating over 2,500 food and toiletry items to help people in need – we are truly grateful for all your support.
When the collection points are full of donated items, volunteer Roger Bentley empties the baskets and stores the donations in the BN5 Magazine offices ready for collection by Horsham Matters. The charity (who are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks supported by The Trussell Trust), then collect the donations and create nutritionally balanced food parcels of store-cupboard essentials. These are then delivered back to the BN5 Magazine offices where they are stored ready for delivery locally round the village by the BP Guild volunteers, when and where needed.
Typical food parcels include items such as breakfast cereals, long life milk, fruit juice, soup, pasta, rice, pasta sauce, tinned beans, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tea or coffee, biscuits and snacks. They can also include toiletry items, toilet rolls and non-standard items such as tomato ketchup, marmite and stock cubes. Treats, crisps and seasonal goodies are often added.
Stokes Newsagents. They are urgently in need of the following food items: instant mash potato, sponge puddings, tea, toothpaste, hot chocolate, pasta sauce, cup-a-soup and tinned potatoes.
The Henfield Foodbank is there for anyone who is struggling to feed themselves or their families. If you are in crisis and need emergency food bank support, please call Horsham Matters on 0300 124 0204.
