RESIDENTS have been donating groceries to a foodbank following the launch of the Evening Mail’s Tonnes of Tins campaign.

People all over Barrow paid a visit to the Evening Mail trailer at Tesco Extra yesterday offering a variety of food to help those in need.

During the winter months the Barrow Foodbank comes under extra pressure as families struggle to put a meal on the table.

The aim of the campaign is to raise enough cash or the equivalent in food to donate three tonnes of tins and packets to the Foodbank.


FOOD MOUNTAIN Some of the donated food at Tesco Extra Over the next three days the trailer will visit various supermarkets where people will be able to bring along food donations to ease the pressure for the Barrow Foodbank over Christmas.

Ann While, 75, of Beach Crescent, Walney donated £20 cash to the Tonnes of Tins appeal.

She said: “I think it’s so important and everybody who needs help deserves to get it, if I can help people then that’s what I will do.

“I feel privileged to be able to help people who need it.

“I have always volunteered and donated to all sorts of charities and the Foodbank is just as important.”

In just the first few hours, the Tonnes of Tins appeal raised £35 in cash as well as dozens of tins of food.

Barrow Foodbank and its satellite sites fed a staggering 3,087 people and issued 1,307 food vouchers between April 1 and October 23. A tonne of food costs £1,680.

Statistically, the worst-affected wards for food poverty in Barrow are Central, Hindpool, Barrow Island and Ormsgill.

Project manager at Barrow Foodbank, Ann Mills, said: “At Christmas we have a lot more people coming in because people have gotten into debt, large families aren’t coping and the schools are on holiday.

“It is an extra burden on the families over Christmas so all food will be gratefully received.”

The campaign was given a major boost on Sunday after the three finalists managed to raise £3,200 as part of the Evening Mail’s Win your Wedding Competition.

Today the trailer will be at Tesco in Millom, tomorrow it will be at Asda in Barrow and on Thursday it will be at Booths in Ulverston.

Editor of the Evening Mail, James Higgins, donated a trolley load of groceries to the appeal.

He said: “We are asking the public to step forward and donate food to our appeal, so it seemed only right that I should do my bit and help people out this Christmas.”

The trailer was due to be at Tesco in Millom today from 10am to 2pm at Tesco in Millom.