Food bank secures bigger premises as demand peaks

A Redditch food bank has secured bigger premises just in time to cope with a huge surge in demand as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The Acts of Kindness food bank was already looking for new premises before the virus but is now set up in its new home on Church Green East just in time to provide urgent help for those in most need.

The newly installed foodbank manager is Rev Ian Evans, who is also associate minister in the Church of England’s team in the parish of Ipsley.

He said: “The new premises give us more space than we had across our previous two sites and is also much more central meaning people can get to us and access our service more easily.

“It wasn’t planned but it has happened at the best possible time – demand has surged to an unprecedented level in the last month.”

Acts of Kindness (AOK) food bank was launched in 2011 with a number of trustees from churches within Redditch, after seeing the challenging circumstances faced by some people in the town.

Now a charity in its own right, working with more than 40 referral agencies it has provided tonnes of food to thousands of people in need over the years.

AOK had been running from distribution centres at St Stephen’s in Redditch and The Link at Winyates Centre, but it became clear that more space was needed in a more central location.

Working with the team at property agents John Truslove, AOK has secured a five-year lease at £12,000 a year on 973 sq ft of ground floor offices in the former estate agent’s premises at 24 Church Green East.

The premises, in Redditch’s principal office district, is just a short walk from The Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Market Square and the Quadrant developments.

Ben Truslove, joint managing director of John Truslove, said: “No-one had any idea what was coming when the Acts of Kindness team first started looking for new premises, but we wholeheartedly support the work they have done over the years and were only too happy to help them find a more suitable base of operations.

“That move has proved unexpectedly fortuitous – both for the food bank and for those who need its services. People in Redditch are rightly proud of the work the food bank does and have shown that in practical terms with donations.

“In these difficult times we hope everyone will feel able to continue that support for those most in need.”