Bags of good wishes are gifted to food bank by councillors

The Mayor of Seaham Coun Sonia Forster and Coun Dave McKenna, are joined by fellow town councillors to launch the towns Christmas Food parcel appeal.

A drop off point has been set up to ensure families most in need do not go hungry this Christmas.

Councillors on Seaham Town Council have opened up their base as a new location for people to donate items and started off the collection by donating a bag of goods themselves.

The items will then be passed on to a number of food banks which are already reaching out to people in the town, with plans in place to launch another in Murton to help support its villagers in need of help.

The idea was set up by Councillor Dave McKenna, who works in Easington MP Grahame Morris’s office, which can also refer people to the funds.

All 21 councillors were invited to donate a package to start off the appeal.

Coun McKenna said: “We had a meeting and I asked all the councillors to bring along a bag to kick off our Christmas campaign.

“We know in the run up to Christmas it won’t be easy for people and there’s an added pressure on them and we want to help wherever we can.

“The town hall will be open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and we’ll be sending the food on to the food banks at St Hild and St Helen and there’s also one at Dawdon Community Centre.

“A bag of groceries from us was a way of starting it off.

“Anything that people can donate will be a help.”

Food banks welcome items including cereal, soup, pasta and sauces, rice, beans, tinned meat, vegetables and fruit, tea and coffee and biscuits.

They can also take non-food items such as deodorant, toilet paper, shower gel, shaving gel, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, tooth paste, hand wipes, laundry liquid detergent, laundry powder, washing up liquid, sanitary towels and tampons and baby supplies including baby wipes and baby food.