Council care firm halts food bank eviction notice

Care Dorset previously said it needed to reclaim the kitchen area

A food bank that was facing closure after being handed an eviction notice has been told it can remain in its premises for the time being.

Ferndown Community Support (FCS) was informed in April that it had six months to vacate the space at Ferndown Day Centre in Dorset.

Care Dorset, which owns the building, previously said it needed to reclaim the kitchen area for its dementia support service.

The council-owned care provider has now retracted the eviction date, saying it will work with the food bank to "find a resolution that satisfies everyone".

The food bank operates from the community centre in Ferndown

Since opening in 2022, the food bank has distributed the equivalent of 300,000 meals to people in need and it helps 60 to 70 people a day.

It also offers pet, hygiene and baby supplies, and claims to be the UK's first medicine bank.

Trustee Tony Brown said the community interest company was relieved Care Dorset had "waived the eviction notice, temporarily".

He said: "We are still very concerned we may not have a premises at some stage in the future and we are doing all we can to look at alternative venues but it's really hard because we want to remain central in the community and it's proving very difficult, or very expensive."

The food bank supplies hot meals as well as groceries to people in need

In a statement, the care provider said: "Care Dorset and Dorset Council are working with Ferndown Community Support to find the best possible solution for the food bank, and the people who use it. 

"This means that the eviction date has been retracted.

"From the moment this became a matter of public discussion, Care Dorset has been explicit that we do not want to disrupt the food bank and would work with others to ensure that does not happen. That attitude was genuine.

"We now look forward to working in partnership with Ferndown Community Support and others to find a resolution which satisfies everyone."