Tavistock Foodbank has been serving the community of Tavistock and neighbouring villages for ten years and to mark the occasion, foodbank volunteers and trustees met together for a cream tea event at the Whitchurch Community Hall.

Both current and former volunteers and trustees were invited, in recognition of the many hours that have been freely given by so many people to ensure that people in need have been fed over the past ten years.

‘The past ten years have seen the Tavistock Foodbank grow and improve its provision of support,’ said acting chair of the foodbank Rob Weston. ‘It is not a good thing that we have such a need for basic necessities in our community but it is an extremely good thing that we have such a dedicated team of people who are ensuring people in need are being supported by their local community.

‘We are grateful for the support of all those who donate both food items and money to the foodbank. Without these regular donations we would not be able to support individuals and families in the way that we do.

‘Perhaps the most important aspect of our service is that we don’t simply hand over food parcels, but we provide a listening ear and support.

‘When we meet with people at the foodbank we always try to signpost services and agencies that can help people solve their current crisis. Some people that use our services need help with Universal Credit applications or with debt management or with mental health support.

‘Whilst we can’t provide these services, we do know who is available in the Tavistock area that have the necessary expertise and can help.

‘Over the past three months we have been able to add even greater assistance to foodbank users, as we now have an adviser from Citizens’ Advice available every Friday when people visit the foodbank at Tavistock United Reformed Church.’

Linda Medland, the current volunteer co-ordinator is one of the long standing trustees and has witnessed the many changes at the foodbank, She said:‘We’ve had some real challenges over the past few years with covid restrictions causing a huge restriction on our service but we have overcome those difficulties.

‘The challenge of storage space for all the donations used to cause a great deal of worry but West Devon Borough Council has been a fantastic help in finding us space.

‘We have a steady turnover of volunteers as people’s circumstances change, but we have always had a waiting list of willing volunteers which is great.’

‘Over the years we have developed new ways of letting people know what is going on at the foodbank and our Facebook page is a good place for people to find out which items of food are required in our store room.

‘Perhaps one day there will be no need for a foodbank in Tavistock, but until then I hope that we will always have such willing donors, volunteers and trustees to ensure the smooth running of this vital service.’

For more information go to the Trussell Trust website: https://www.trusselltrust.org/ or Tavistock Foodbank web page: https://tavistock.foodbank.org.uk/**