Grand opening of Downham Market food bank comes alongside 'increased spike' in usage for employed people in cost of living crisis
People gathered at the Eternity centre in Downham on Tuesday evening for the grand opening of the food bank.
The food bank, which is run by Alex Coates, has been looking for storage space for some months and the Eternity Centre church has authorised used of it's space for the vital facility.
Ms Coates said: "We saw a downturn in usage after the covid restrictions were lifted but in recent weeks we've seen a spike in client again.
"Previously many of our clients were on state benefits but now we are seeing people from double income households who are having to choose between filling up their car, feeding their kids or paying for the heating - it's awful."
The food bank in Downham hopes to have a triage service and on site worker, for which they have appealed for funding.
The aim to have hubs around the town and within the area including places like Southery and Methwold.
Ms Coates said: "Out ten year plan is to do ourselves out of a job, people shouldn't be using services like this in our modern times. Until then we hope to provide this much needed service to the community, as we enter the cost of living crisis. The opening went really well, and we set our our vision for the future."
Downham officials believe current levels of need there are of similar proportion to those being faced by their counterparts at the Lynn Foodbank.
This week, Norfolk County Council leaders were warned that organisation alone had seen a 171 per cent increase in the number of people seeking assistance during the Easter period.
And, writing in the Thought for the Week column in Tuesday's Lynn News, King's Lynn Foodbank trustee Andy King warned the charity had given out twice as much food as it has received since the end of February.
He added: "This might be a short-term trend, but by the end of May (at the current rate, and if we do nothing) we may run out of several essential food items."
Speaking at a meeting of Norfolk County Council's Cabinet on Tuesday, South and West Lynn councillor Alexandra Kemp outlined plans to stage a child poverty conference in Lynn, to which council leaders and agencies like the Foodbank would be invited.
She demanded a restoration of school meal vouchers for the spring half term and summer holidays after the help was halted for Easter.
And she told the authority to "put its money where its mouth is and feed hungry children now".
But council leader Andrew Proctor insisted the authority's plans to provide a £6.7 million support programme, using Government funding, would help a much wider range of people.
The Downham food bank receives donations through the checkpoints at Morrison's and Tesco in the town. Organisers are currently looking to source a company willing to provide food that would be otherwise disposed of.
Opening hours for clients who use the food bank in Downham are Tuesdays 12.30-2.30pm and Fridays 10.30am-12.30pm.
Donations can also be dropped off at the centre between 11am-2pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
People who require food bank vouchers can call the help for hardship helpline on 08082082138.
