Rising costs bring appeal to help food drop-in which helps Todmorden and Hebden Bridge people

A constant need to provide food and other essentials to those in need in Todmorden and Hebden Bridge while costs of items is increasing means a drop-in centre is appealing for extra help.
Help: Volunteers at the drop-in (pictured on its first anniversary) have found inflation is pushing costs upHelp: Volunteers at the drop-in (pictured on its first anniversary) have found inflation is pushing costs up
Help: Volunteers at the drop-in (pictured on its first anniversary) have found inflation is pushing costs up

The Todmorden Food Drop-in opened its doors for the first time on Saturday, June 1, 2013, and its aim is to provide a three-day food parcel, toiletries and other essential items for the people of Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and surrounding areas who are in need.

A spokesperson said the drop-in hoped more people would pledge to help and those already contributing to the £5 pledge would consider increasing this by any amount to keep its resources stable.

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“We regularly see around 80 to 100 people each Saturday morning at our session at St Mary’s Church in Todmorden, between 9.30am and noon. Many of these are single people but some are from larger households, some with children, and the number of people in need is expected to increase.

“Food is generously donated by local people and shops, but the bulk of our supplies are purchased with our funds, which consist of donations and grants we have been lucky enough to secure. We have had a £5 pledge appeal for some time, which asks people to donate monthly by standing order, and have been hugely grateful to the amazing number of local people who have stepped up to regularly donate in this way, or online via Local Giving.

“However, we now need to reach out to all these people, and to others who might also be able to help, to ask for more,” she said. She explained current financial pressures on households mean there is a constant need to provide food to those in difficulty, some regular visitors and also several new ones each week.

“As everyone will appreciate, inflation has increased our costs, and we now have a regular monthly shortfall, which we cover with reserves, but our funds are dwindling. We seek to cover other running costs by grant funding. We would therefore like to appeal to those who already contribute to the £5 pledge to consider increasing this by any amount, however small, to help us cope with our increasing costs, and to anyone else who would like to join them in signing up.”

Details of how to do this are on website www.todfooddropin.org and its Facebook page.