Help Bow Foodbank support more pensioners this winter as it pushes for £50k in donations

With Christmas over and a new year around the corner, Bow Foodbank is calling for help to hit a £50,000 fundraising target that would allow it to support more of the borough’s pensioners.

The organisation, first set up by a group of neighbours in 2014, supports around 350 people per week – up from 100 per week before the Covid pandemic.

A successful crowdfunder, helped by match funding from insurance firm Aviva, has seen the charity raise over £37k in donations.

But a stretch goal of £50k would allow the Foodbank to expand its support for pensioners hit by changes to winter fuel payments.

On its crowdfunding page, the charity states: “In 2023, we supported over 600 people over the age of 65, and we project that this figure will rise significantly for 2024.

“This group has become more vulnerable due to rises in the cost of rents, fuel and food.

“In the summer of 2023, we saw around 17 pensioners weekly; by October 2023, this number had risen to 88.

“Since changes to winter fuel payments, the number of pensioners we see weekly rose from 10 per cent to 17 per cent of our guests, and it is still increasing.

“We will spend additional money on food to support these guests in winter.”

You can donate at https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/p/bowfoodbank.