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  1. The Okement Centre receives food donations 5 days a week on our behalf and gives out emergency food parcels 5 days a week when we are not on-site, working together for the good of the community.
  2. We continue to receive donations of pasties and pies from a local bakery every week which are very popular.
  3. We received a large donation from a local recycling company for which we are very grateful.
  4. A group of local business people bought £2000 worth of chocolates, cakes, coffee and Christmas foods for us to give out at Christmas and beyond. Thankyou.
  5. We regularly receive Waitrose Vouchers from a prominent local charity which we can give to families meeting our donation criteria.
  6. Our Christmas collection outside Waitrose provided £200  and three weeks’ worth of food.
  7.  We received a wonderful donation of Christmas chocolates from a lovely couple who continue to support the food bank.
  8. We received all the Advent calendars we needed but, at the last minute, a family with five children came into the food bank. We checked the donation basket at Waitrose and a kind supporter had put five calendars in the basket, so we had the exact number we needed.
  9. Nearly all food bank donors have updated their direct debits to our new bank account.
  10. New donors are finding us every week. Donations don’t need to be large. Every £1 helps.
  11. We have applied for full charitable status.
  12. Five people have agreed to be trustees of our charity.
  13. There are now individuals and local businesses making regular monthly financial donations to The Okehampton Food Bank.

Since August, there has been a consistent increase in the number of families relying on the food bank, highlighting the ongoing necessity for our services and the effectiveness of our operation.

Our success is made possible by the continuous backing of people and businesses in our community, along with the amazing volunteers who lend their support. We are also thankful for the devoted prayer army in Sussex and God who has answered prayers.

A difficult year.

Undoubtedly, 2024 is a year that some of us would like to erase from our memories. It’s easy to get caught up by the negative in times of struggle, but eventually, we must pick ourselves up and carry on.

The volunteers exemplified this spirit by diving into the work that needed to be done. As I reflected on our journey since July, I was amazed at how much we’ve accomplished together with the help of countless individuals in our community.

An encouraging list

  1. When we were closed by the Baptist Church in July last year, not one of our volunteers left us. They all remained to carry on the important work that the food bank began in 2008.
  2. We maintain close links with our primary referral agencies and have had many new professional bodies and charities refer their clients to us.
  3. Thanks to a kind benefactor, the Okement Centre room is paid for a year in advance. The new site is preferable to the church shop because, it’s closer to Lidl and Waitrose, provides a more private atmosphere for families visiting us, and is shared with various other charities that partner with the Food Bank.
  4. The Okement centre provided a permanent storage room.
  5. One particular donor very kindly gave us a fridge and freezer as well as a £300 donation which enabled us to reopen.
  6. Two  £500 donations were made into the new foodbank bank account in July/August which enables us to fully stock our fridge with dairy and eggs.
  7. A new phone was set up and paid for by one of our donors.
  8. We received funding to continue with our website.
  9. Three volunteers stepped up to take over the roles of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

To be continued…