Woodbridge colleagues lend a hand at local foodbank

Colleagues from our Woodbridge Supermarket spent time at the town’s Salvation Army Foodbank last week, to show their support for the service.

The Hamblin Walk supermarket currently supports the foodbank through an in-store donation point. Four colleagues from the store assisted foodbank volunteers with tasks such as unpacking donations, filling shelves, and supporting service users, to help gain an insight into the important role the foodbank plays in the community.

Lisa, Customer Service Assistant at the East of England Co-op’s Woodbridge supermarket, said: “The experience has been useful, as I now have the ability to answer the queries of our customers, who often ask us what happens with their donations after they leave them in store”.

The East of England Co-op is committed to ensuring that the communities it serves have access to good, nutritious, and affordable food. The Woodbridge Foodbank is just one of twenty-five that it works with across its trading area in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex.

Tanya Hill, Woodbridge Foodbank Manager explained that with living costs rising, the service is coming under pressure to provide essentials for an increasing number of people. She said: “The help from the Co-op staff has been fantastic and very much needed, especially as we rely on volunteers to operate the service”.  

The Woodbridge Salvation Army Foodbank distributes food and other essentials to individuals and families from their building in New Street, in the town. They also run a café on the premises and provide free advice to local people.

The East of England Co-op supports foodbanks across the region by asking customers to share an item with their local foodbank when they shop. Customers can also support their local foodbank by buying a Foodbank Donation Card for just £5. 100% of the donation goes to support local people in crisis. This year, customers have helped raise over £3,200 for foodbanks through purchasing these cards.