Cost of Living: Cleckheaton Food Bank praises ‘amazing community support’ throughout 2022 ahead of January ‘Match it!’ initiative

As another year of helping and supporting vulnerable people in Cleckheaton comes to a close, the town’s food bank says ‘thank you’ to the ‘amazing’ volunteers and local businesses which allows them to ‘exist’.
By Adam Cheshire
Published 27th Dec 2022, 16:30 BST
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Cleckheaton Food Bank, based at the Methodist Church on Mortimer Street, has been assisting people in need within the community since March 2020 as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, nearly three years later, the registered charity has around 50 volunteers - as well as the assistance of a number of local firms - to ensure it can continue to put food on Cleckheaton people’s tables in 2023 and beyond.

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Josie Pugsley, one of the trustees, said: “We get amazing community support and we have got some fabulous volunteers, more than 30 of which are active every week and about 10 of which do two or three things for us week in, week out.

Josie Pugsley, right, trustee at Cleckheaton Food Bank, with staff from National Floorcoverings, including Jason McKelvie, centre, who provide volunteers every Wednesday to the food bank.Josie Pugsley, right, trustee at Cleckheaton Food Bank, with staff from National Floorcoverings, including Jason McKelvie, centre, who provide volunteers every Wednesday to the food bank.
Josie Pugsley, right, trustee at Cleckheaton Food Bank, with staff from National Floorcoverings, including Jason McKelvie, centre, who provide volunteers every Wednesday to the food bank.

“Without them, we wouldn’t exist. We just could not operate.

We have also got some local businesses who are incredibly supportive, in all sorts of amazing ways. We have a wonderful relationship with National Floorcoverings in Liversedge. Every Wednesday afternoon, they send two of their employees in the company van and they deliver food parcels for us, which is brilliant.

“Cleckheaton’s Tesco and Heckmondwike’s Morrisons are both consistently supportive and do a lot for us. Croft Cargo in Cleckheaton have also made a recent substantial donation.”

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And Josie is now hoping for more donations in January - as the financial funds which are provided to the service in the first month of the new year will be matched as part of the Match it! Initiative.

Josie Pugsley, centre, being presented with a donation from the Co-op by Rowena Innes.Josie Pugsley, centre, being presented with a donation from the Co-op by Rowena Innes.
Josie Pugsley, centre, being presented with a donation from the Co-op by Rowena Innes.

A generous donation in January, therefore, will have twice the impact.

“I don’t generally say ‘give us your cash,’ but I will say it now because if you make a donation through our website, then the money will literally double,” Josie said.

“It’s a really great initiative we have until the end of January. We have been pushing that quite a lot.

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“Please consider giving to your local food bank if you have got three weeks worth of food in your house. Your local food bank is part of your community and you don’t know when you might need it.”

For information on the food bank, visit: cleckheatonfoodbank.weebly.com

Related topics:Cost of livingCleckheatonLiversedgeMorrisons