Bradford North Foodbank Opens

After 6 months of hard work, finding a warehouse, venues for the foodbank centres, volunteers and above all a large supply of food to be given out, the first ‘live’ session of a foodbank centre took place on Monday 12 January at Church on the Way, Five Lane Ends. On the following Thursday, St Luke’s Church, Eccleshill opened as the second foodbank centre. It is hoped that a third centre, at Shipley Baptist Church, will be opened in March. There will then be three venues, every week, to which needy people in BD2, BD9, 10 and 18 can be referred.

I stress that we are not in competition with the other foodbanks in Bradford. The sad fact is that there is such a need for emergency food parcels in our city, that all the foodbanks are likely to be busy for several years to come. We are all showing God’s love to people, many of whom do not know him.

God has blessed us in our preparations. We have found a perfect building for our warehouse, on the Inspire Bradford Business Park behind Eccleshill Community Hospital. Facilities and equipment have been assembled with the minimum of expense. We needed at least 3 tonnes of food before we could open to the public; by Christmas we had 5½ tonnes in the warehouse!

This is a truly ecumenical venture, with input from 13 churches in North Bradford and a large team of enthusiastic volunteers, who have all received training for their roles.

Martin B, St Andrew’s

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