Cost of living crisis: food bank in affluent Garstang makes plea for goods as soaring food prices hit hard-up families

Every Monday around 20 familes attend St Thomas Church in Garstang for the weekly ‘food club’. A food bank set-up and run by the churches volunteers. However these numbers are on the up as more families across the North-West are hit with rising costs.

The service provides meals for up to 60 people who are struggling with the cost of living crisis faced across the country, with the prices of virtually everything on the rise.

Kathryn Sperring, an ordinand at the church and volunteer in the food bank, said: “We do make a difference for a small amount of people who often face the choice of heating or eating.

"The people of Garstang are really generous, but the shelves are quite bare at the minute as the amount of people we are helping is growing due to rising costs. It’s an affluent area but we get a lot of referrals, lots from schools, social services and action mental health.

"We had one lady who came for a while but didn’t need us anymore as she managed to get back on her feet. However, four or five months later she had to come back. She was in tears because her bills had gone up so our support was needed again.

“We do make a difference, it’s an affluent area so nowhere near the scale of other towns but for a small group of people we are really needed. If you would like to donate to the foodbank, now would be a really super time.”

Those in need are welcome to choose from a selection of donated goods at the church every Monday from 9.30am to 11.30am, however deliveries for anyone who may not be able to reach the food bank can also be arranged.

Locals are invited to donate food to a box outside the church anytime of the day, every day, which is emptied on to the shelves in the hall twice-a-day. St Thomas Church in Gartsang can be found on Church St, Garstang, Preston PR3 1PA.