Since opening in 2012, Barrow Foodbank’s incredible team of hardworking volunteers has been working to help and support people across Barrow, Millom and Ulverston. Volunteers have fed a total of 32,492 people (13,327 children and 19,165 adults) They have also given out £45000 in fuel vouchers as a Fuel Bank.

In recognition of the sterling work they’ve done and continue to do, Barrow Foodbank has been awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service!

Seen as the equivalent of an M.B.E, The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups to recognise outstanding work done in their communities, so it is great see the hard work of all the volunteers at the foodbank honoured in this way.

Any group or organisation that carries out voluntary work, providing a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated. Each group is then assessed on the benefits it brings to their local community and its standing within that community.

Volunteers fill a number of roles to ensure the foodbank is run efficiently and complies with statutory legislation while ensuring those that attend the foodbank are made to feel welcome while giving them nutritiously balanced food to last 3 days.

Roles at the foodbank include:

• The trustees who are responsible for the governance of the charity.
• Church representatives who encourage their congregations to donate food and faithfully bring it into the foodbank on a weekly basis.
• The supermarket volunteers who help during the Tesco food collections and are seen standing in Tesco asking their customers if they would like to donate food.
• The foodbank’s drivers who collect food from the various collection points and take the weekly allocation of food to the centres in Millom and Ulverston.
• Warehouse volunteers, who weigh all donations coming in, date and sort the food, and ensure good stock rotation.
• Centre volunteers, who welcome clients, offer them a drink and cake, biscuits or toast while they wait their turn to collect their food.
• Site volunteers who do all the maintenance while others do cleaning.
• Volunteers who ensure we meet all environmental and health and safety policies and standards.

Being awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is a huge honour, but  Barrow Foodbank are quick to point out that none of this would have been possible if it were not for the communities of Barrow, Millom, Ulverston, Dalton, Grange over Sands, Cartmel and other areas across South West Cumbria who have donated a staggering 275.4 tonnes of food! The public’s kindness and generosity has had a massive part to play too!

Congratulations to all at Barrow Foodbank, the work, commitment and service you provide for our community is incredible, and this award is so very well deserved.