06:00, 16 October 2024
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
Foodbanks are the lifeblood of their communities. Supporting some of the UK’s most vulnerable people, they need no proof of suffering, no threshold met; their assistance is available for all.
Seeded by Trussel and run by Pecan, Southwark Foodbank on Peckham High Street supports vulnerable people in their community. Unfortunately, they made headlines in September for being the victims of a burglary.
Burglars stole over £3,000 worth of food and hygiene products, as well as a laptop, leaving the foodbank reeling. Additionally, during the process of the break-in, hundreds of pounds worth of damage was caused to the warehouse where donations were being stored.
The impact, the foodbank said, would be felt throughout the local community and they were right - though perhaps not in the way they expected.
“We were very shocked by the break-in,” says Peter Edwards, CEO of Pecan. “We also understand that the people who took from the warehouse will have faced their own challenges, and they will have acted out of desperation, and they'll have difficulties in their own lives. Our message to them is that we help everyone.”
Among the donors were Prince William and Catherine, who heard about the break-in and wanted to offer their support. The couple pledged £3,500 of their own funds to replenish the missing donations.
“We all know it's been an incredibly difficult year for the royal family with two cancer diagnoses,” says Peter. “So we were touched that when they're facing enormous challenges of their own, they were thinking of the vulnerable people in the borough and how to help.”
Though the burglary was, of course, a horrible incident, the outpouring of love and support from their local community, and others nationwide has been incredible.
Peter says: “We were overwhelmed by the public response, and that was a surge in donations from ordinary folk living in Southwark and beyond, businesses getting in touch, or companies that wanted to help us with things like security.”
As well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, the foodbank was supported by Tescos, Morrisons, Southwark Council, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP for Peckham, Bromley Foodbank and so many others. The support that came from Trussel, who seeds the foodbank, was also a huge part of how they were able to recover from the break-in.
The response to such a difficult incident has been phenomenal - and shows just how valued, and important, foodbanks like this one are to our society. They aren’t just a place to receive food and other necessities when you are struggling for money, they are community hubs, a source of emotional support and resilience, and proof that people are, ultimately, good.
“I think both the break-in and the public response redoubled our determination to do even more,” explains Peter. “No one wants food banks to exist, and although they've grown to a formidable infrastructure across the UK, no one wants there to be food insecurity.
“But after such a tumultuous couple of weeks, it renewed our energy and motivation, and it shows that there is public support.”
Alongside Southwark Foodbank, Pecan also runs a number of other services that support the community, including employment support, women’s services and life skills training.
To support Southwark Foodbank, you can visit their Bankuet page here.
To learn more about Pecan and the other services they provide, you can visit their website here.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whole causes align with the themes in this article.
Grow to Give. This charity connects local farmers and hobby growers to donate surplus fresh produce to food banks. Find out how to support them here.
The Felix Project. They collect fresh, nutritious food that cannot be sold and deliver this surplus food to charities and schools. Support them here.
FareShare. The UK's largest charity fighting hunger and food waste, saving good food from going to waste and redistributing it to frontline charities. Find out more.
This article aligns with the UN SDGs No Poverty, Zero Hunger and Partnerships for the Goals.
