Following a successful weekend collecting food in Harpenden for our district’s foodbank, Round Table volunteers will be out in force again this weekend making collections in St Albans.

Herts Advertiser: Eight tonnes of food was collected for St Albans and District Foodbank in Harpenden last weekend. Picture: St Albans and District FoodbankEight tonnes of food was collected for St Albans and District Foodbank in Harpenden last weekend. Picture: St Albans and District Foodbank (Image: Archant)

Last weekend the Harpenden Round Table travelled the length of the town, going street to street collecting goods left on doorsteps and driveways.

St Albans and District Foodbank took to its Facebook page and said: “Well done Harpenden! Your generosity has blown us away.

“Over eight tonnes of food and essentials were collected together with over £5,000 of cash donations.

“We cannot express enough thanks to all those who helped and of course to Harpenden’s residents for being so generous.

Herts Advertiser: St Albans Round Table will be going door to door collecting for the foodbank, starting on Marshalswick on Saturday. Picture: St Albans Round Table/GoogleSt Albans Round Table will be going door to door collecting for the foodbank, starting on Marshalswick on Saturday. Picture: St Albans Round Table/Google (Image: Archant)

“Not only will we be able to replenish our depleted stocks of food and toiletries, but we will also be able to continue buying the hard to get foods such as rice, vegetables, long life milk and long life fruit juice.”

Now, St Albans Round Table’s Santa Sleigh has been dusted off and decorated with rainbows in prepartion for the the group’s outing this weekend.

Volunteers will be taking to the streets of St Albans on Saturday and Sunday, collecting doorstep donations for the foodbank.

Foodbank operational manager, Emma Dalton, said: “St Albans Round Table have got Santa’s sleigh out and will be doing a number of collection weekends for us. Let’s hope they are as successful as the Harpenden weekend.

Herts Advertiser: St Albans Round Table will be going door to door collecting for the foodbank, and will be covering the length of Townsend on Sunday. Picture: St Albans Round Table/GoogleSt Albans Round Table will be going door to door collecting for the foodbank, and will be covering the length of Townsend on Sunday. Picture: St Albans Round Table/Google (Image: Archant)

“It will take quite a long time to get round the whole of St Albans, so they have split the routes into districts.”

On Saturday, the group will be starting with the Marshalswick area, before heading to Townsend on Sunday.

The St Albans Foodbank is run by the Trussell Trust – in light of the corornavirus crisis, it will be opening a sixth foodbank this week.

Emma added: “All these collection weekends and everyone’s generosity and enthusiasm has helped us to make the decision to go ahead with this sixth foodbank. It looks we will get enough donations and support to sustain it.”

Herts Advertiser: Following the success of the collections by Harpenden Round Table last weekend, there will be further collections in St Albans. Picture: St Albans and District FoodbankFollowing the success of the collections by Harpenden Round Table last weekend, there will be further collections in St Albans. Picture: St Albans and District Foodbank (Image: Archant)

The new foodbank will be open for a trial period from May 22 at the Caledon Community Centre in London Colney, every Friday from 10am to 12 noon until further notice.

To track Round Table’s progress over the weekend, go to stalbansroundtable.org.uk/christmas-float/santa-float-food-collection-2020.