Big drop in number of items received – but some very generous cash donations.
For a second successive month, the Food Hub provided food for over 3,400 meals for 384 people in April. Though slightly down on March’s 3,600 meals for 400 people, it was an increase of 400 meals on April 2024.
The Saturday after Easter was the busiest session in the month with 540 meals provided for 60 people living in 22 homes across the south of the borough.
In addition we continue to support the two local Food Stops where many of our clients receive ongoing food help after their emergency food parcels from the Food Hub. We give a carload of donations to Old Lodge Lane Baptist Church, Purley, one week, then another to St Francis Church, Monks Hill, Selsdon, the next.
The number of items received in April was 2,981, an unusually low figure, even considering that we were not open for donations over Easter. However, the reduction was offset by some significant money donations (not to mention more than 500 Easter eggs and 95 high quality tin openers).
As in previous years, we received another generous donation of £2,000 from Croydon NEU (National Education Union). Once again we were pleased to split this five ways with Old Lodge Lane and St Francis Food Stops and Fieldway Food Stop and The Vine Food Bank in New Addington – £400 each.
We also received welcome news that we had been awarded a £1,000 grant from the charity First Give.
Maddie Vos from First Give said: “We run a programme with secondary school students to engage them in social action. As part of this work, students identify social issues in their local community and support charities that work to tackle that social issue.
“Year 9 students at The John Fisher School, Purley, chose to support Purley Food Hub as part of our social action programme. I am very pleased to inform you that they were judged as having carried out the most effective action amongst their peers, and as such they have won a £1,000 grant for your charity. Congratulations!
Last November, boys from class 9M at John Fisher gave us £600 from their autumn term fund-raising as part of the First Give programme. Then in February this year we received a further £200…and now in April this £1,000. Thank you very much indeed, Year 9 – outstanding work!