East Anglian housebuilder, Denbury Homes makes £4,000 donation as foodbank sees demand for help rise.
Newmarket Open Door has seen a significant rise in demand for emergency food supplies as many in the area feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. In response, Denbury Homes has made a £4,000 donation which will help maintain supplies and help the foodbank meet the rise in need during the winter months.
Speaking of the donation, Kerri Davis, Operations Executive at Newmarket Open Door said: “In recent months it’s become clear that people in Newmarket are feeling the pinch and struggling to feed themselves and their families. We see a wide spectrum of service users coming forward for help including the elderly and young families.
“We’re also seeing that many of our regular donors are having to focus on the needs of their own households so the levels and quality of donations to the foodbank have decreased.”
Newmarket Open Door runs the foodbank from its distribution centre on Fred Archer Way, Newmarket. Those in need can obtain a referral from a health or social care agency, through Citizens Advice, the Job Centre, the council, or any other referral agency. They can then make an appointment to visit the foodbank and collect enough food for up to a week.
In addition to the foodbank, Newmarket Open Door also runs a weekly pop-up shop in the Catholic Church Parish Centre, Exeter Road, Newmarket. This self-referral service is open to anyone in need. For £2, users can visit the shop and select a bag full of tinned goods, fresh fruit, meat, and bread. Between the two services, Newmarket Open Door is supporting around 100 households a week.
Members of the Denbury Homes team visited the foodbank to help with packing of food parcels and to find out more about how inflation and price rises are affecting local communities. Speaking during the visit, Joshua Hopkins of the Denbury Charitable Fund and Land Director at Denbury Homes said: “Spending time with the volunteers this morning has really shown the levels of care and compassion they have for those in need of extra support as we head into the coldest months.
“We are very happy to support Open Door with this grant to purchase additional food. The money will help them bolster stocks and provide nutritionally balanced emergency food packages to people struggling to balance demands on household finances.”
The grant was facilitated through Suffolk Community Foundation. Karen Moy, Director of Programmes said: “Denbury Homes has a long history of supporting local charities and causes so we are delighted to work with them again to identify the needs of Newmarket Open Door. As winter goes on, demand for support from the foodbank is expected to rise still further so generous donations such as this one will have a significant impact on the capacity of the foodbank to help.”
Since 2017, the Denbury Charitable Fund has given out over £1.6 million in the form of grants, donations and through initiatives including a regional charity vote. If your group or charity would like to apply for support, please contact the Suffolk Community Foundation.
Newmarket Open Door is reliant on the work of dedicated volunteers and a small body of staff. To find out more information visit https://newmarketopendoor.org.uk/foodbank/ .
