Stratford Foodbank

Stratford's Foodbank: why we have one, what it does and what its future is

Cheryl Flavell

Monday 17 February, 6.00 pm - White Swan
Most Stratford residents are aware of our local foodbank, and many generously donate food to this worthy local cause. However, many people do not realise the nature and extent of help the foodbank offers to local people in need.

This talk will outline what the foodbank actually is, how it operates, what other support is provided apart from the supply of food, and the foodbank's vision for the future. 

The charity aims to prevent and relieve poverty in Stratford-upon-Avon and surrounding areas, in particular, but not exclusively, by providing emergency food supplies to those in need. We work to provide support to those in need, especially those in our community who are in crisis.

Cheryl Flavell has over seven years' experience in the social sector and before that, 20 years in education. She is passionate about positive change, and thrives on turning ideas into reality. She brings a unique blend of skills to the table, including problem-solving, interpersonal relationships, action bias and adaptive thinking.

Cheryl lives in Wellesbourne with her extremely large cat, Theo. She is mum to three wonderful young adults, an avid reader and enjoys good food with good friends.

Watch the presentation here (20 seconds in)

Report on the talk

The Trussell Trust has oversight of 400 foodbanks, but they work independently, and supply emergency food for people in crisis. There are 1,300 food distribution centres nationally. Stratford’s foodbank covers Stratford District, and there are some smaller outlets in the area too. There are seven paid members of staff, the rest are volunteers.

In December 2024, 408 food parcels were given out to 231 adults and 177 children, in the Stratford area. One kilogram of food costs £2.77 and each person gets 11.5 kg, worth £31.85 in a parcel. 6.07 tonnes of food were donated; 1.21 tonnes were purchased and 7.50 tonnes were distributed.

The short-term goal is to make foodbanks more accessible, but the long-term goal is to reduce the amount distributed by tackling the problems that the recipients experience. They are given three days’ worth of food and other supplies per week. Many people work in hospitality, hours have been cut and the cost-of-living crisis has hit hard.

The foodbank is housed in the Fred Winter Centre, which aims to help any and all homeless people. A person does not have to be living on the streets to qualify, just have no fixed abode. The centre receives government money to run this community venue. It has a café, a breakfast club, Springfield MIND, Orbit, a social housing provider and an addiction service. Pret a Manger donates unsold food. There are 14 small units for the homeless, for singles and couples but not for children. People may stay there for up to two years and are supported to get a job and a home of their own.

The foodbank works this way:
  • Food, etc. comes from donations in supermarkets, schools and churches etc
  • Volunteers sort and store the dated items, three times a week
  • Clients exchange vouchers for food parcels at the Ken Kennett Centre, Escape Arts, Meon Vale and Bishopton community centres
The food is mainly packaged/tinned items, with vegetarian/vegan/halal and 'kettle' (foods that can be used by people who only have a kettle) food available. Fresh foods i.e. vegetables, are also added as 91% of people request it. There is a grant for this and volunteers shop for the foods.

From 2013 to 2024, on average, the number of people fed per month, rose from 86 to 431. There was a spike during Covid of 173. The number of children fed rose from 19 to 156, as there were no free school meals during the pandemic lock downs. Recently donations have dropped a bit as many people are feeling affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

The vouchers are meant to be for short-term emergency help only. Originally people received them maybe three times a year. Now there is no limit. Agencies give out vouchers – GPs, schools, government offices, etc. after assessing need. Agencies engage with clients to understand the personal situation that leads to the need. Support can include signposting to others who can help with practical and/or emotional support. Coventry Independent Advice Service will soon be placed next to the foodbank. Action on Energy is also involved.

Deliveries are also made to some people in rural areas, i.e. to the sick or disabled, or people with no transport. For example, the Meon Vale estate has one bus service a day each way to and from the town and many residents do not have cars. The centres are generally placed near to places with social housing and other services are often available.

The vision for the future is:
  • Increased access for those in need
  • Reduce need with help from various agencies
  • Community Hubs as a model
Clients really need the help, as so many are on zero hour contracts even if in work. Many people are too proud to ask for help. The foodbanks could definitely feed more people.

How can we help? People can help in various ways, such as donating via the website for those who do not visit shops, giving at supermarkets, donating old shopping bags, becoming a volunteer, telling friends about the foodbank. There are relationships with local organisations such as the NFU, the Arden Hotel, Anytime Fitness and JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) which have led to 22 kg of food being donated plus £140 in cash, which equals £1,308 in total (value), which fed 42 people.

More food is needed in school holidays. Items such as toiletries, pet food, baby and sanitary products are also very useful. One volunteer in the audience said that the foodbank get too many tins of baked beans! Clients are never given money as they might buy alcohol or drugs, which would not help their predicament.

It was a very interesting talk, with a number of comments and questions.

Report by Helen Elliott.