About Us
The Andover Food Bank is part of the work of St John the Baptist Parish, Andover and is therefore registered under the Portsmouth Diocesan Trust (Registration No 246871) . It is independent in it's day to day management and uses the Diocesan Payroll service for convenience.
It has been set up to provide emergency food to those local people who find themselves in short-term crisis situations and without the means to buy food. Food donated by the community is banked and boxed in packs providing emergency food for 3 days (10 balanced meals), which is the period assessed as the minimum time it takes for the appropriate agencies to be in a position to assist.
Food is drawn as a result of referrals from registered Care Professionals such as Social Services, Health Visitors, Probation Officers, The Crisis & Support Centre, The Citizens Advice Bureau and others working in the front line of poverty. Vouchers redeemable at the Food Bank and Authorised Food Box Holders allow clients to exchange their voucher for 3 days of tinned and dry food for their family.
This facility is designed to enable recipients to begin to effectively break their long-term circle of poverty and has received support from a range of local Care Professionals.
History
The idea of a food bank in Andover first came to Patrick Lavelle, a St John the Baptist parishioner, when he began to explore ways of making the Parish more involved in the local community. He was inspired to visit the Trussell Trust in Salisbury and find out more about the work being done there.
Armed with masses of advice and information Patrick got down to work setting up a similar scheme in Andover - supported at first by just a few keen volunteers. He called on the Parish for financial help and resources and simultaneously established links with 16 local aid agencies to distribute the Andover Food Bank vouchers with which food boxes could be claimed by those who needed them. Finally, the AFB was launched in Easter 2006 with a verysmall quantity of food available for distribution in just a few food boxes. During the first 6 months progress was slow but Patrick remained optimistic and awareness of the AFB’s work increased with the help of the aid agencies and food donors.
By the end of its first year the AFB had the support of several local schools and churches and an ever rising number of dedicated volunteers. Finances steadied and local supermarket collections became all important.
As the AFB comes to the end of its third year in operation it has been able to reach out to people struggling for whatever reason in a greater variety of ways.
Easter eggs are distributed to local children and a very successful appeal at Christmas enabled dozens of shoeboxes, jam packed with goodies to be sent out, not to far flung places, but to children on our doorstep. Now the AFB also supplies “welcome packs” to those who have been rehoused but have no funds to furnish their
new accommodation.
In 2008, Andover Food Bank appointed a new Project Co-Ordinator, Trevor Sleathe, who will continue to take the food bank forward, helping local people in need.
StatisticsIN OUR FIRST YEAR (APR 2006 – DEC 2006)
FOOD COLLECTED
6,827.6 kgs (6,719.75 tons)
THE AFB ISSUED FOOD TO
361 ADULTS
137 CHILDREN
IN OUR SECOND YEAR (JAN 2007- DEC 2007)
FOOD COLLECTED
11,711.2 kgs (11,526.2 tons)
THE AFB ISSUED FOOD TO
878 ADULTS
327 CHILDREN
IN OUR THIRD YEAR (JAN 2008 – DEC 2008)
FOOD COLLECTED
16361.41 kg (16.1029 ton)
THE AFB ISSUED FOOD TO
1178 ADULTS
605 CHILDREN
BOXES ISSUED:
Family Food Boxes 401
Single Food Boxes 518
Welcome Packs 10
Cleaning Packs 24
Toiletries 22
