25th November, 2020

Miller Commercial acquire premises for The Wadebridge Foodbank

The Wadebridge Foodbank has just acquired premises vacated by ‘Home Furnishings’ in the town through Miller Commercial.

Since the start of COVID-19, the  Foodbank, which covers Bodmin, Camelford, Padstow and the surrounding rural areas, has seen demand for food boxes increase by 80%.

The foodbank, which moved out of a large, loaned premises three years ago, has been on the hunt for a new home for some time. ‘Even before coronavirus, we knew our current premises were too small,’ said Project Manager Jacqui White. ‘We’ve been fundraising and looking for something bigger for a while, but COVID-19 has made that need critical. We need somewhere big enough to enable us to meet increased demand, store all of our food in one place and ensure safe working for our volunteers.’

The new larger premises will also allow the charity to re-start StoreHouse, which they were forced to close when they left their previous location. The project provides donated furniture and household items, such as crockery, cutlery and bedlinen, free of charge to local people in crisis need, as well as selling some items from its shop location to cover core costs.

‘StoreHouse was really well used by the partner agencies that we work with,’ said Richard Curnow, chair of the Foodbank board of trustees. “To be able to give away anything and everything that some-one might need is a hugely important provision. Fundamentally, we believe that no-one should have to choose between food or heat, or not have a table to sit at, plates to eat off, or a bed to sleep in at night. It doesn't sound like much, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t have the dignity of that choice.”

‘I was delighted to be able to help such a worthy cause find the ideal premises they were searching for’ said Thomas Hewitt of Miller Commercial. “The sale has been made possible due to considerable effort from all parties involved and is testament to the tenacity of the foodbank trustees as well as the understanding shown by the seller during the process.”

The charity has raised the majority of the money and need an additional £50,000 to complete the purchase over the next two years. The Foodbank has an established “Group of Friends” who instead of donating food on a regular basis have set up standing orders which help provide for the overall financial situation.

To donate to the Wadebridge Foodbank or for more information, contact:

Jacqui White, Project Manager

Email: jacqui.white@wadebridgefoodbank.org / contact@wadebridgefoodbank.org

Tel: 01208 815374 / 07813 606291