Swindon & Wiltshire News
TBG Learning Swindon joins forces with Swindon Foodbank
A leading youth and adult learning organisation has joined forces with Swindon Foodbank to provide support for people living on the poverty line.
The team at TBG Learning Swindon’s centre at Minton Place has been busy collecting donations for the charity, which is linked to the Foodbank Network run by The Trussell Trust.
With an estimated 30,500 income deprived people living in Swindon and one in six adults in the area struggling to feed their families, Swindon Foodbank, which launched in 2005, provides support and help in times of crisis.
TBG Learning’s centre in Swindon delivers the Government’s Work Programme on behalf of JobFit, which helps the long-term unemployed into work through a package of support and assistance.
Amy Poole, team leader at TBG Learning, organised the Swindon team’s collection.
She said: “The work that TBG Learning does, goes hand in hand with Swindon Foodbank as we know lots of people we have provided career support to have also been helped by the team at the Foodbank, or have friends and family that have been.
“Due to the current financial climate, many people are living on jobseekers allowance and are struggling to afford necessities such as food, which is something often taken for granted.
“We’re delighted to be able to help out and support a vital local service which is doing great things in our community.”
Swindon Foodbank is linked to The Trussell Trust which works to empower local communities to combat poverty and exclusion in the UK.
David Hartridge, Swindon Foodbank Project Manager said: “We collect food donations from the local community, businesses, churches and supermarkets which are then stored by ourselves and distributed to people who have hit a crisis point in their life.
“This could involve people who have been made redundant, who have been hit with an unexpected bill such as a funeral or people who have been caught in a social crisis; such as a mother who has had to flee the family home because of domestic violence.
“We are now appealing for three things – food donations, people to support us and volunteer at the Foodbank and people or businesses that can raise funds.
“Swindon Foodbank survives on generous donations and grants from local sources, as without them we would not be able to operate.
“With the grants we have received, we have been able to buy the organisation’s van, which enables us to pick up donations and distribute them across the area.
“All the donations we receive are crucial for us to be able to continue to support the local community, so we thank TBG Learning for the team’s generous donation.”
For more information about Swindon Foodbank visit www.swindonfoodbank.co.uk or call David on 07932 108 732.
To find out more about how TBG Learning Swindon and the Work Programme contact 01793 684 444 or email swindon@tbglearning.com
