Gosberton Foodbank

Gosberton Community Action Team has been supporting the Gosberton Pop-up Foodbank during the Coronavirus Crisis. Gosberton Community Action Team is a voluntary group that facilitates assistance for our local community. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the group supported the Foodbank with an online support group where members could post advice, guidance and information to help the community during the uncertain and unprecedented times.

The Gosberton Pop-up Foodbank was launched in early March at the beginning of the lock-down inspired by a few members of the community and has been operating from March to August solely with the help of willing volunteers. A team of approximately 20 volunteers have worked at the Foodbank, shopping for provisions, packing the food parcels and making deliveries to the vulnerable groups in the community. The Foodbank was regularly supporting approximately 70 to 80 vulnerable families in the communities of Gosberton, Quadring and Gosberton Clough & Risegate but the service has also reached to the neighbouring Surfleet.

The Foodbank was well supported, receiving donations of meals from a local catering company, food from local farmers and businesses, plus donations from local shops. The Foodbank and has received funding from individuals and community organisations with the District Council (SHDC) and both Parish Councils (Gosberton & Quadring) contributing to the cause. The Foodbank was active and able to access vulnerable groups through a community network of the Church round robin communication and local headteachers from three local primary schools. The Community was able to access the Foodbank services easily during the pandemic with the help of the marketing and promotion of the service in local Bulletins and Community publications and the online activity. Online, the Foodbank was very active with on-line campaigns, updates and information posted on the foodbank’s social media group and the online COVID 19 Support group offering its service, requesting donations and appealing for volunteers. The Foodbank organisers used all lines of communication to highlight, acknowledge and thank all its supporters, donors and funders who had given to the cause.

When the donated funds were depleting, the funding awarded from the National Emergencies Trust Fund that were facilitated by Lincolnshire Community Foundation were invaluable to allow the foodbank to continue operating until the end of its term in August and continue its good work reaching the vulnerable groups in our local community.