Weymouth Foodbank gifted warehouse to cope with rising demand
Last year saw a 57% increase in the need for their services
Last updated 28th Feb 2024
Weymouth Foodbank has received a large, new warehouse as a gift from commercial property developer and landlord, DJ Property - providing essential relief from rental expenses and bolstering the charity's capacity to meet the skyrocketing demand for its services.
Mickey Jones of DJ Property said: “The local community are facing such uncertain times and over the past few years we have seen a growing demand for Weymouth Foodbank.”
“It is important to support these charities so they can continue their good work in the local community. It gives DJ Property pleasure to support this charity by providing a substantial unit in support of the local community.”
“Weymouth Foodbank is very well managed and converts a very high proportion of its donations directly into food for its beneficiaries. This efficiency is a key reason why DJ Property have chosen to support this charity.”
As the need for food assistance continues to surge, Weymouth Foodbank faced a daunting challenge of accommodating a staggering 57% increase in demand in 2023. This follows a 68% rise in 2021.
With a total of 7,148 referrals last year alone, including families, couples, and singles, the foodbank's pivotal role in the community provided 81,594 meals to 10,973 adults and 3183 children locally.
The new, rent free warehouse at Cambridge Road, Granby Industrial Estate equips Weymouth Foodbank to efficiently manage larger food deliveries from suppliers, crucially enhancing its operational capabilities. The savings in accommodation charges from DJ Property will enable Weymouth Foodbank to redirect those funds towards purchasing essential food supplies.
Jean-Paul Dervley - Chair Weymouth Foodbank said: “We are so grateful to DJ Property for providing us with an even better warehouse for us to operate from. We need a base to collect the food, sort it, store it and deliver to our three Foodbank locations. As a result of the cost of living crisis, demand for our services increased by 57% last year.”
“We are therefore having to buy a lot of food to supplement the food donations we receive. We needed a warehouse like this to be able to take delivery of bulk deliveries.”
“The warehouse provided by DJ Property is perfect for our current needs. We work hard to minimise our costs so that we can use as much of our donations as possible to buy food to feed hungry people. The provision of this warehouse makes a significant contribution to us achieving this.”
Weymouth Foodbank is run by a team of volunteers who give up their time to help feed the community, without their support this charity would not be as successful.
To learn more about Weymouth Foodbank and how to support its mission, please visit www.weymouthfoodbank.co.uk.