Harpenden opens first food bank

The first food bank in the district has officially opened in Harpenden - and is already being used by over 20 people.

The foodbank, which is open every Friday afternoon at the Batford Early Years Centre in Holcroft Road, is a pilot scheme for the district and could be extended if it is successful.

It operates on a model developed by the Trussell trust, a Christian charity, and provides assistance to people of all backgrounds and faiths who are in genuine need.

The official opening was held at Rothamsted Research which provides warehousing for the scheme. The Mayor, Cllr Annie Brewster, joined organisers and volunteers at the opening where they heard that of the 21 people who had applied for vouchers, most were from Park Street ward followed by the Cunningham ward in St Albans and Harpenden.

Thanks were extended to everyone who had helped with the scheme including St Albans district council, Tesco which supplied food and equipment and the Trussell Trust.

Blob* Ninety beavers, cubs and scouts from the 2nd Harpenden Scout Group have donated a trailer-load of groceries to stock up the resources of FEED, a food bank programme run by the Vineyard Church in St Albans.

The project was taken on by the group as part of Scout Community Week. Last year the scouts refurbished Porters Park near their HQ in Tallents Crescent and this year decided to do something different that would help those most at a disadvantage in the community.

Group scout leaders, Phil Murray, said there had been ‘a fantastic gathering of all our young people and their parents” to hear Jesse Benstead, youth pastor at the Vineyard, talk about how the programme worked and a further £160 was raised from the sale of hot dogs and drinks.