Town council pledges £2k to support West Berkshire foodbank

Thatcham Town Council has agreed to provide funding for the foodbank after it was launched in the district at the end of March.
The money will be granted from an underspend from the last financial year.
At a meeting of the town council on Monday evening, Ernesto Peramo from West Berkshire Foodbank, said that the help they needed included money for a van for deliveries, for laptops to help process the food orders and assistance with approaching other organisations for help. He said: “Very soon we are going to have to expand our activities to other centres in West Berkshire so it’s becoming even more urgent.”
He said that the number of users had been increasing since the foodbank opened and added: “We need to gear ourselves up for the situation; we need to be ready.”
Previously, Andrew Bruce from West Berkshire Foodbank estimated that 550 to 600 parcels would be needed in the Thatcham area in the first year.
As well as providing food parcels for people who are in need through no fault of their own, the service also provides counselling to understand why people are in the situation they are, as well as help them out of their crises.
Town council leader Lee Dillon (Lib Dem, Thatcham north) said that although many people thought of West Berkshire as an affluent area, Thatcham North was in the district’s top five deprived areas.
He said: “This is a crucial service for when people are down on their luck. We have people who need our help and support.”
Town and district councillor John Horton (Con, Thatcham North) said of the £2,000 donation: “It is certainly not enough to buy a van but it is enough to show that Thatcham Town Council is behind the project and encourage other people, like West Berkshire Council, to put money in as well.”
Town councillor Owen Jeffery (Lib Dem, Thatcham South and Crookham) added: “£2,000 is enough to show that we are committed and to give meaningful cash to the project.
“We are definitely understanding that this is a project that’s fulfilling a real need.”
Before the committee agreed that £2,000 would be donated, Mr Dillon added: “I would be happy for us to give £2,000 to protect the most vulnerable in our society and I would be happy for the foodbank to come back in the future. We should be looking to support our residents most in need.”