Westbury food bank bolstered by kind-hearted shoppers

Westbury’s food bank has received a much-needed boost to its supplies thanks to the support of shoppers at Morrisons. Through the store’s ‘pick-up packs’ initiative, customers have been donating vital items, helping to meet the growing demand for food parcels in the area.

Volunteers from the Westbury Area Network (WAN), which runs the food bank, were stationed at Morrisons on Tuesday 4th February to explain to shoppers how they can contribute directly to the charity. Morrisons customers can add a bag of donations to their trolley, scan it at checkout, and then leave it at a designated point past the tills. These bright green ‘pick-up packs’, which contain everything from tinned goods to cleaning supplies, make a vital difference to the food bank.

“We have a really high turnover of things like milk, canned fruit and vegetables, baked beans, spaghetti hoops, and toilet roll at the moment,” said Ian Cooper, trustee at the charity. “We are able to email Debbie, the Community Champion at Westbury’s Morrisons, every few weeks with details on what we are running short of, and she can create the pick-up packs based on that information. Then we’re able to get full trolleys of goods to replenish what we’re short of at our food bank and community fridge.”

Luke Bowden, store manager at Morrisons, estimates that the store sells between £300 and £400 worth of food donations every week. “There’s massive support from the Westbury community,” Luke said. “That’s from the whole customer base, people of all ages and backgrounds—not just the same individuals every time. We appreciate that everyone is facing a cost-of-living crisis, so we reflect that in the price of the pick-up packs, which range from £1 to £5, for example.”

The charity has had a busy start to the year and volunteers are preparing for a further rise in demand throughout 2025. Ian explained, “We have been a lot busier, and we put much of that down to the economic crisis.

“It has impacted people to different extents. We’ve got people who’ve worked all their lives who now need support for the first time. But there’s always a wait between applying for benefits and actually receiving them. Often, we fill that gap and tide people over for 6-8 weeks while they’re waiting for benefits.”

WAN’s food bank is based at the Westbury Community Project on Eden Vale Road, BA13 3NY. In addition to food parcels, the charity provides debt advice, mental health support and benefits guidance.

Ian wants everyone in Westbury to feel they can reach out for support at the food bank or community fridge if they need it. “We’ve had people come to us quite reluctantly, whether that’s through pride or something else,” Ian added. “But we’re a friendly bunch. We’re all volunteers, and we make no judgments. People are always welcome, whether it’s at the food bank, where you need a referral, or our community fridge, where anyone can visit. We want to help.”

For more information, visit westburyareanetwork.org.

Pictured: Ian Cooper (trustee at food bank), Luke Bowden (store manager at Morrisons), Lynn Adams (volunteer at food bank), Linda Hallowell (trustee at food bank), Jill Webber (volunteer at food bank)