Midhurst Foodbank prepares Christmas parcels for struggling families

With less than three months to go before Christmas, Midhurst Foodbank is already planning to ensure Christmas is not too bleak for those who are struggling in everyday life.

The branch, which is part of the Chichester district foodbank group, is seeing a ‘sharp rise’ in demand on a weekly basis as the coast of living crisis sees more and more families struggling.

A spokesperson for Midhurst Foodbank said: “With the rising cost of living and the soaring cost of fuel, life is hard and many simply do not have a weekly income sufficient to survive. The Foodbank can, at least, provide a basic food parcel to ensure that people do not go hungry, we are feeding a large number of single people as well as families. Every week we are helping between 20 and 30 individuals.

"We have increased our collection points in Midhurst in order to keep our food supplies well stocked. Our new baskets can be found in The Grange, Easebourne Parish Church and Midhurst Primary School. These are in addition to the baskets in Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Boots and the Midhurst Churches.

"We are not expecting the number of requests for school lunch boxes to fall this year either. These are the boxes which are packed at the warehouse in Chichester to ensure that families whose children usually receive a free school meal are able to feed their children during the school holiday. The boxes have been made up by the students in Seaford College in the past and they will be working hard to do so again as part of their Work in the Community curriculum. They will be making up around 180 boxes ready to be distributed. This a mass delivery operation in Midhurst which involves nearly all of our volunteers and many others too from the Midhurst and Petworth Rotary Club, all of whom are on standby and raring to go.”

Throughout October and November, the foodbank has set up Christmas collection boxes in local shops around Midhurst. Retailers have been very supportive in agreeing to help. Customers can buy small gifts in the shop, place them in the box, to provide a small Christmas gift for all those whom we help.

The spokesperson added: “We can then spread a little Christmas cheer and join together as a community, to reach out to those in need. We are very grateful to those shops who have agreed to help us in this initiative. Please join with us, shop locally, and help those in need. You will find boxes in: Between the Lines, Blown Away, Comestibles, Open Country, Serenity, Stepping Out, Stuff and Co., The Notebook, The Little Sweet Shop, and The Upholsterers.”