Over the past twelve months we, like other outlets, have seen our foodbank grow and expand. In many areas of life people would celebrate that growth and development. And yet we are not celebrating because any growth simply means more people living on the breadline and not having food in their cupboards. What we do celebrate is the commitment of the many volunteers who week by week work in the warehouse, drive supplies to the various centres, apply for grants, do the budgeting and accounting and support those who enter the centres to simply feed their families. This report would have little content if it wasn’t for those people who make it happen. And so, we salute all those people on behalf of the population of Lichfield.

One of the effects of the growth is the need to purchase food from local supermarkets to add to the donations and supermarket collections. This has been a challenge to the finances with serious scrutiny having to be adopted right across Lichfield foodbank. We have continued to open on an evening as the pilot sessions seemed to have the suggested impact.

On the personnel side of things there have been major movements. David Clarke the ex-chair and current operations manager of the EWG (Executive Working Group) is stepping back after many years of fabulous service. We have a new chair, Verity Ashley, who has been in place since February and are seeking to distribute David’s various operational roles amongst a wider spread of people to lighten the load somewhat.

I finish by saying thank you for the privilege of serving in the way that we do and to a small degree helping individuals, couples and families to have food on the table each day for the people that they call family. Let’s see how 2024 develops.

Rev. Steve Speight – Chairman of the Trustees of Lichfield foodbank