Derbyshire foodbank branches out to help Hope Valley residents in crisis

Chesterfield Foodbank will be delivering weekly crisis support packages from St Helens Church, on Main Road in Grindleford, every Thursday from noon to 2pm, starting September 8.

Relatively affluent rural areas, such as the Hope Valley, can often ‘hide’ the local needs of individual struggling households, and the foodbank is being set up amid concerns that there are families in the Hope Valley area who are experiencing significant financial hardship which is expected to worsen as the crisis escalates this autumn.

Spokesperson Roisin O’Gorman said: “We are pleased to announce the establishment of this rural foodbank in Grindleford so that we can help people in crisis.

“We know from local agencies such as Citizens Advice that poverty is increasing in this area as people are finding it harder and harder to afford the basics and being forced to make the impossible choice between heating or eating.”

She added: “Our emergency food parcels make a difference and, coupled with advice and support, our long-term aim is to help people back to independence.”

The foodbank will serve the communities of Grindleford, Hathersage, Baslow, Calver, Bradwell, Eyam, Stoney Middleton, Hope, Edale, Bamford, Castleton, Great Hucklow and Foolow, with delivery available for residents who cannot travel to the church and have no-one to collect on their behalf.

People in crisis, or those supporting them, can call Help Through Hardship on 0808 2082138 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to begin the referral process.

According to the charity Rural Action Derbyshire, the number of foodbanks in the county has increased from one in 2009 to 36 in 2022.

Chesterfield Foodbank says it has seen a 30 per cent increase in the number of people we supported in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period last year, with 25 per cent of those receiving support being children.

Separate figures from the Trussell Trust estimate an 81 per cent increase in demand nationally over the past five years, and a 14 per cent increase since 2019-20 alone.

As demand rises, donations are needed now more than ever. For information on how to help the Hope Valley service, go to chesterfield.foodbank.org.uk.

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