Efficiency North has gifted a £2,000 donation to the lifeline food pantry at Eastmoor Community Centre in Wakefield to help them keep pace with increased demand over the festive period.
Eastmoor Community Pantry, based at St Swithun’s Community Centre, supports 35 families and individuals on a regular basis with food and toiletries, in addition to providing an average of 20 emergency food parcels a month. Efficiency North has donated the funds to support the pantry in providing for those most in need as demand surges in winter.
The cost-of-living crisis is driving food bank use across the country and in 2024/2025 2.89m food parcels were delivered by the Trussell Trust alone, with at least 1,172 further independent food banks providing regional support. Eastmoor Community Pantry relies on generous donations of food, finances and volunteer time to keep running.
Katy Frost, Co-ordinator at Eastmoor Community Centre, said: “This donation means such a lot to our Community Pantry. A portion of the money will be used to purchase food such as tinned goods, pasta, rice and sauces, as well as essential cleaning and hygiene products. The remaining money will be vital in contributing to our core utilities costs for electricity to operate our two fridges and two freezers in the pantry, as well as keeping our building a warm, welcoming space.
“Being able to supply fresh produce as well as tinned goods makes a real difference to our pantry users, which is facilitated by having the fridges and freezers available. Equally, it enables us to safely store and freeze any surplus fresh donations so that we reduce waste and always maintain a good level of stock to help people each week.”
This is the fourth consecutive year Efficiency North has made donations to regional food banks in the North of England totalling £10,000, strengthening the organisation’s commitment to addressing food insecurity.
Lee Parkinson, Chief Executive of Efficiency North, said “Eastmoor Community Centre does an incredible job supporting families and individuals who need it most, with its community pantry providing a lifeline to those most vulnerable to food insecurity. The compassion and commitment from the volunteers is admirable and we hope our donation can give some financial relief to allow them to focus on championing the local community.
“As the festive season approaches, we are even more committed at Efficiency North to making a tangible difference to people’s lives across Yorkshire. We encourage other businesses to join us in holding hands with and supporting our local food banks in any way they can during these times, as every contribution matters.”
The executive team of Efficiency North presented the cheque to Eastmoor Community Centre this week as part of a team development day.
To learn more about Eastmoor Community Centre and how the project works, or to discover how you can support it, visit the website: https://www.eastmoorcommunity.co.uk/
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