2023 REPORT FROM BILLERICAY FOODBANK
Introduction
Billericay Foodbank (BFB) has come a long way since its beginnings in a cupboard at St John’s Church Outwood Common, back in 2018. Building on the findings of an informal survey of people in the area and visiting other foodbanks in the borough to gather information, the original small group of volunteers wanted BFB, with the support of Churches Together in Billericay, to serve the whole town. They also determined to bed-in a clear set of values to guide the way help was to be provided to families and individuals. The foodbank was to be non-judgmental, non-bureaucratic, easy to access and offer a friendly welcome to all.
Since then, BFB has registered as an independent charity, moved to premises in the High Street, and written a Governing Document with a Statement of Purpose:
Billericay Foodbank is an inclusive project, welcoming people from all backgrounds to become part of its mission to serve the most vulnerable individuals and families in our local community.
Numbers
Piloting 2018 and operational through 2019, BFB was, at that time, helping around 25 households. The onset of Covid and Lockdowns dramatically increased the demand which, with continuing and worsening economic conditions, has meant numbers have steadily risen to a recent 114 households receiving help in one week. The fantastic news is, however, as demand has increased, the level of donations has kept pace. I call this the ‘loaves and fishes’ principle, and it has been remarkable to see the generosity with which the wider community has continued to support BFB. This is perhaps the positive side of the ‘affluence’ with which Billericay is identified.
Numbers, of course, don’t tell the whole story and when I am asked, "Does a prosperous town like Billericay really need a foodbank?" as I was on BBC Radio Essex last year, the answer has to be an unqualified "yes". In fact, our experiences tell us that the relative prosperity across the town indicates the enormous divide between those who have, and those who have not. Something which should make us all as Christians ask serious questions about the society in which we live.
Donations
The fantastic news is, however, as demand has increased, the level of donations has kept pace. I call this the ‘loaves and fishes’ principle, and it has been remarkable to see the generosity with which the wider community has continued to support BFB. This is perhaps the positive side of the ‘affluence’ with which Billericay is identified.
Support has been received from local churches, community groups, businesses, supermarkets, the town football club and, of course, many individuals who give faithfully and regularly each week. We also receive financial donations, which have enabled us to broaden the range of foods we provide to include fresh fruit and vegetables and to purchase a van, greatly increasing our capacity to collect donations from our various donation points.
Another development is that we now have weekly donation points at St John’s, Emmanuel and at Queens Park Community Church, which complement the donations we collect from the town supermarkets.
Volunteers
The operation of BFB is dependent on the work of volunteers, organised in teams to carry out the various tasks necessary to ensure that the service provided is consistent and reliable. With over 75 people involved, drawn from across the whole community, the volunteers are the human-face of the Foodbank, and in their contact with the families we help they show in practice the values that continue to underpin our work.
Social Media
Social media has come to play a big part in the life of BFB. A regular and attractive presence on social media pages has maintained a profile that has helped to increase donations and kept the work of BFB at the forefront of people’s minds.
Support to Families
The feedback received from the telephone survey of the households we support clearly demonstrated the appreciation with which the service offered by BFB is received. People especially value the social contact with our driver volunteers in the weekly round of deliveries. For some, this represents their only regular conversation with another person in the course of a week.
The survey also confirmed that many of those we help with food have other needs, often complex and multiple. We are looking to build upon this aspect of our service and to fulfil our stated ambition to signpost to other, relevant services.
Future
Looking forward, the Trustees are continually thinking about our longer term plans, in particular with increasing numbers, the need to diversify the ways people receive their support and to identify different locations where this may take place.
Proverbs 13 v23: The uncultivated field of the poor, yields abundant food, but without justice, it is swept away.
We ‘do our bit’ and help where there is need. However, we don’t operate in a vacuum, and as Christians with an incarnational faith, we have a responsibility to see a wider picture and to offer a challenge to a system that fosters inequalities and ways of living that are so different to those talked about by Jesus.The verse from Proverbs shows us that God indeed provides abundantly, but how that abundance is shared around is what matters. Christians should surely be prepared to speak out about the injustices that create the conditions whereby foodbanks are seen as a normal part of welfare provision?
Conclusion
2022 was very busy but very rewarding for Billericay Foodbank. We look forward in faith to the coming year, knowing we serve a faithful God who provides abundantly for all our needs. We remain thankful to all those who provide places for us to receive donations, and especially for the prayers of the Christian Churches across the town, providing vital support for this ministry.
Jim Rose
READ REPORTS TO THE 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
2023 AGM Meeting Minutes
Schools Ministry Billericay (SMB)
Billericay Foodbank (BFB)
Street Pastors {SP)
Forging Men (FM)
CTB-Associated Events
Christmas Day Lunch