A Flintshire food bank bracing itself for the traditional Christmas surge in demand has had a welcome boost with a vanload of supplies from Lock Stock Self Storage.

The Buckley Food Bank, part of the Flintshire Food Bank group, has had its shelves replenished by Lock Stock who have a storage park on the town’s Globe Way.

The Flintshire group has nine food banks across the county and even a pet food bank to recognise the importance of an animal friend to the lonely.

Buckley’s Foodbank is at the Buckley Cross Methodist Church Hall and is open on Wednesday afternoons, staffed by volunteers who are mainly retired and hands out over ten food parcels a week to a mix of single people, couples and family groups.

It opened eight years ago and moved to its present home a year later and Anne Farnsworth, one of the volunteers, said: “We’ve got a good team here and for the last two years we’ve also opened a Warm Hub here where people can just pop in for some company, a chat, a cup of tea and some cakes.

“We also have the Citizens Advice Bureau here, Flintshire Council’s welfare team and mental health charity MIND, and that’s all hosted by Buckley Cross Methodist Church.

“At this time of year the numbers coming in will go up dramatically and we’ll have over 40 food parcels for singles and family groups so we’re catering for up to 100 people.

“There is an increasing number of people of no fixed abode who might be put up in hotels  where they don’t have any cooking facilities, not even a microwave so we have to give them things like pot noodles that they can make with a kettle.”

Volunteer Helen George said: “When I retired I found I wasn’t as busy as I’d been and I had referred people to Social Services from the Eye Clinic where I worked so I decided to get involved in helping here.

“We get a lot of the food given by local supermarkets but we also get individual donations as well and it’s very welcome when a business like Lock Stock comes forward like this.

“We are seeing more people, especially older people who might have just missed out on their heating allowance and its a matter of pride for many people, but we provide our service very discreetly.

“It’s certainly wonderful to get this donation from Lock Stock just in time for Christmas and we’re very grateful for their support.”

Lock Stock Area Site Manager Richard Warner said: “We do like to get involved with the communities where we operate and it’s our way of saying thank you to the people of Buckley for their support.

“The Food Bank is clearly a much-needed service and hopefully Lock Stock will have played a part in bringing some Christmas cheer to local households.

“The team of volunteers here clearly do a fantastic job at what is a very difficult time for so many people and we like to support the community in the places where we are in business whether that’s charities like the Flintshire Food Bank or local schools and community groups.

“Businesses, especially small businesses use our sites because they have storage needs and with three different sizes of units they’re ideal whether people are looking to grow or to downsize. 

“We adjust to demand and if it is from an area where we need more capacity then we look at opening somewhere new or extending our existing premises.”

For more information about the work of the Flintshire Food Bank click here.