Kent: Food bank’s urgent plea for help as donations drop

The food bank said it has had its "busiest year ever"

A Kent food bank is launching a Christmas campaign after a sharp drop in donations.

Nourish food bank in Tunbridge Wells is launching a 12 days of Christmas campaign that starts on 1 December.

Amid the cost-of-living crisis, the food bank said donations this year have fallen to a third of its usual level.

Dawn Stanford, operations director for Nourish, said: "This Christmas is probably our most urgent and desperate plea for help that we've ever done."

In the year ending March 2023, the foodbank said it provided 158,891 meals - up 36% from 2021-2022.

Of those served, 48% were children under 18 years-old.

'Kindness of a stranger'

Nourish's 12 days of Christmas campaign is asking for donations of household items like cereal, tea and coffee as it gears up for the festive period.

Ms Stanford, who has been at the food bank for 10 years and worked her way up from volunteer, said this has probably been the most testing time in the charity's history.

She explained: "I never thought I would say this, but Covid was an absolute breeze compared to the cost-of-living crisis."

"Our priority is getting enough food in so we can continue to serve our community," she said.

The food bank's clients, she added, were always "blown away by the kindness of a stranger".

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