Waveney Foodbank praises generosity after £10,000 donation

The East of England Co-op donated money, vouchers and supplies to Waveney Foodbank last week after hearing that the service needed help.

The foodbank, which has a warehouse in Eye and covers an area stretching from Diss and Harleston to Long Stratton and Framlingham, has been appealing for assistance after seeing a huge rise in demand.

Niall O’Keeffe, joint chief executive for the East of England Co-op, said: “Foodbanks provide a valuable service to those in need in our communities, and have an even more vital role to play as we navigate our way through these unprecedented times.

“We have long supported foodbanks across our region, with donation collection points in all our food stores.

“While there have been restrictions in place during the first few weeks of the crisis, these are gradually being lifted as our supply chain improves.

“We would encourage customers, wherever possible, to donate in store to help keep these vital services running.”

The co-op made a donation of £8,000, provided £1,000 of £5 vouchers to enable people to top-up on additional essential items and delivered £1,000 of products.

Matthew Scade, project manager of Waveney Foodbank, said: “We would like to thank the East of England Co-op for its continued support and very kind generosity.

“This donation allows us to continue feeding those people in crisis locally.

“Food shortages and supermarket customers being unable to purchase multiple items has meant our donations have dropped, yet our client numbers have risen.

“This money has allowed us to buy food from wholesalers and helped us increase our stock levels, which remain at an all-time low,” he added.