Kenton Food Bank is this week celebrating over the purchase of a new CAZ compliant van thanks to a grant from a local charity and Newcastle Council.
The old van which was non-compliant with the city’s Clean Action Zone has now been replaced with a new vehicle which will be exempt from any fines whilst going into the city centre to collect huge food parcels and items. The new van – a Mercedes Sprinter has been funded with a £17,500 grant from the NE3 based LGA charitable Foundation and a £4,500 vehicle upgrade grant from Newcastle City Council. An additional £900 has been raised by local residents via crowd funding.
Kenton Food Bank
Loree Moran-Wilson, the food bank manager, said:
”We’re delighted at the generous donations from both LGA and local residents which has enabled us to buy a new CAZ compliant van. This is the perfect solution for us. The community here has been so wonderful for us, people donating to help – whether that was a fiver or £50. The fact that they cared and wanted to help as much as they could was great.”
She added: ”To raise £900 at Christmas is amazing. This enabled us to put down a deposit. It shows what a tight-knit community we have here”
Kenton resident Brian Dickinson who runs a building company, WDL and is an annual doner to the food bank, said: ” I’m relieved that the bureaucracy has been sorted out and that we now have a happy ending.”
Alleviating hardship
Kenton councillor Stephen Lambert said:
”We’re pleased that Kenton Food Bank has got a new van which will enable it to pick up and bring back large food parcels from the city centre. The food bank is doing a fantastic job in providing weekly food parcels to over 600 local residents, not just in Kenton but across the NE3 and NE5 districts, helping to alleviate hardship, hunger and disadvantage.”
