Charity thanks supporters as food bank is saved

The food bank says the move would not have been possible without its volunteers, donors and partners

A food bank that was facing closure is thriving in new premises, thanks to the "incredible hard work" of its team.

Dunstable Foodbank in Bedfordshire had been operating from the former Argos store on the high street, but the lease ran out.

The charity, which gave out 6,788 emergency food parcels last year, is now based at a warehouse on the Eastern Avenue industrial estate.

A celebration at the weekend was "a way of saying thank you," said operations manager Michelle McCalla.

Last year, the food bank collected 64 tonnes of food to distribute across the Dunstable area.

Ms McCalla said: "The new warehouse gives us the space we need to respond to demand and to keep serving the community.

"Our volunteers, trustees and supporters have worked incredibly hard to make this move possible."

People can still collect food parcels and receive support from their established distribution centres.

Nearly 2,800 food parcels were given to children by Dunstable Foodbank last year

The charity said although it had found new headquarters, it still needed support from the public.

"It shouldn't be the case that so many people in our community need emergency food just to get by, but the reality is demand keeps rising," said Ms McCalla.

"We can only continue this work with the support of local people — whether that's donating food, giving online through our website, or volunteering a couple of hours at a supermarket collection.

"Together, we can make sure no one in Dunstable goes hungry."

Michele McCalla (left), pictured in the previous premises, appealed for continued support from the community

Alex Mayer, Labour MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, said: "A huge thank you to everyone at Dunstable Foodbank who have worked so hard on this move.

"Behind every parcel is a story of neighbours helping neighbours, and that spirit shines through in the volunteers led by Michele and her brilliant team who give their time and energy every day."