Food banks in the county, including five in South Holland, are set to receive a boost thanks to the Lincolnshire Co-Op.
Until September 5, a donation will be made each time a member shops with their dividend card, customers can donate change, and colleagues and partners will be running food bank drives and other fundraising activities.
The food banks set to benefit include Agape Care in Spalding, the Crowland Community Larder, Holbeach Community Larder, Long Sutton Food Larder and Sutton Bridge Community Larder.
According to the Trussell Trust charity, food insecurity is a growing issue across the UK; in 2024, 16 per cent of households faced food insecurity, rising from 12 per cent in 2022.
This means that at some point in the previous year, households ran out of food and couldn’t afford more, and reduced the size of their meals, ate less, went hungry or lost weight, due to lack of money.
As well as providing emergency food and hygiene supplies, many food banks offer additional avenues of support.
One food bank selected as a Community Champion is Holbeach Community Larder, which also operates a community shop, provides easy access to social subscribers, and signposts to other valuable services in the local area.
Wanda Adams-Stevens, manager at Holbeach Community Larder, said: “People come to us for a variety of reasons; perhaps they’ve encountered an unexpected bill, or they’re struggling to manage debt.
“We’ve helped retirees, families, working people; anyone could fall into these circumstances, sometimes it only takes one thing to go wrong – like the washing machine breaking, or a hefty car bill.
“For many people, receiving our help can feel quite overwhelming, and there have certainly been some tears along the way! I think it’s a feeling of relief for many people, knowing that they’ve been given a lifeline.”
All year round, each Lincolnshire Co-op food store has a donation bin for its local food store, and a list of ‘most wanted items’ is displayed alongside it.
By contacting their local Community Co-ordinator, groups can have the lists updated, maximising the impact of donations.
