Washington Community Food Project starts new chapter at the Galleries - here are the donations they need

The Washington Community Food Project’s move to The Galleries shopping centre has come at just the right time as the service continues to help hundreds of families.

Clive Bowman, Project chairman, said they give out around 175 parcels each month, with 600 family names on the books for this year so far.

Prior to the move on Tuesday, December 4 the Project operated from a number of locations across various dates and times.

He said: “The Galleries is at the heart of the Washington community and we are ideally placed near the likes of Gentoo and Citizens Advice to offer help to those that have been referred to us as well as increasing awareness of our services.”

Going forward, it is hoped that the permanent home at the centre will assist them in helping more families.

Clive added: “The people of Washington are tremendously generous in what they are doing.”

The journey

A number of stores and organisations across the Washington community and beyond also continue to assist the Project with collection boxes, and donation-drop offs.

Run entirely by volunteers, the foodbank would not survive without the kindness and support of the public.

The move comes on the back of a longstanding partnership between The Galleries, its owners M&G Real Estate, and the charity that operates the foodbank.

Earlier this year, M&G offered the foodbank a temporary space in the centre, following the loss of its main storage facility.

It then went one step further in finding a permanent, rent-free home for the team to carry out its work.

David McNee, centre manager at the Galleries, added: “We have worked with the volunteers over the last few years to drive much-needed donations for our local foodbank which has seen a huge increase in demand for its invaluable service.

“Bringing them into the shopping centre was not only the right thing to do but also a way of giving them a greater profile in the community which, in turn, will help to raise donations further and reduce stigma.”

When is the foodbank open?

In the run-up to Christmas, the foodbank will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am until 2pm.

After the New Year, the opening hours will be from 10am until 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The full address is Washington Community Food Project, Unit O, Galleries Shopping Centre, Washington, NE38 7SD.

It is opposite Virgin Money on the first floor.

Which donations do they need at the moment?

*Long-life milk

*Tinned custard

*Rice pudding

*Tinned fruit

*Pasta & sauce packets

*Tinned carrots

*Toilet roll