MONEY MAKING MACHINE Whirring away at the back of the Trussell Trust’s warehouse is the bobbins machine which strips the wool from Wilton Carpet Factory’s used bobbins for recycling. This relatively unknown enterprise has been running for many years, and in the past financial year alone has generated over £5,000 to help fund Trussell Trust projects. Dedicated volunteers, many of whom suffer from mental health problems, man the machine. Chris has been volunteering on the project for several years. He says ‘It gives me a bit more confidence. I feel like I’m contributing something which is good. It gives you a bit more selfworth’.
COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES “If it hadn’t been for Trussell Trust, I basically wouldn’t be here… it’s been a life saver”. Mandy and Jacqui are sharing a joke over a mini mountain of donations in The Trussell Trust warehouse. This is a typical scene - our invaluable volunteers Mandy and Jacqui have given so much time to The Trussell Trust over the last few years. These two friends have both been through a lot and here they share how volunteering helped them through.
Volunteering helped Jacqui to cope after three of her close friends passed away and she lost her home. She said: ‘If I had any problems and I needed someone to talk to there was always someone around…it helped a lot. Volunteering has made a great big difference, sometimes I think that if it hadn’t been for Trussell Trust, I basically wouldn’t be here... it’s been a life saver.’
Mandy says: ‘I have bipolar depression and getting out of bed was an everyday struggle. Volunteering with Trussell Trust has given me a reason to get up in the morning, it’s shown me that I can do things I never thought I could. The Trussell Trust has done more for me than all the times I’ve been down to the hospital’.
‘In the warehouse you can’t stay down for long, you might come in feeling miserable but you certainly don’t go home feeling miserable!’
‘A foodbox would’ve been cause for celebration’ says our new Farnborough Shop Manager ‘I grew up in poverty and if my mother had been given a foodbox it would’ve been a cause for celebration’ says Farnborough Shop Manager Indra Russell. In March we opened a new charity shop in Farnborough to help raise much-needed funds and Indra’s passion is helping to make it a success.
Salisbury volunteers gave 23,000 hours in 12 months!
CLEAN TO RAISE ESSENTIAL FUNDS FOR FOODBANKS Ever wanted to raise vital funds for the Trussell Trust but haven’t quite found the motivation to run that half marathon or been brave enough to bathe in baked beans? Well here’s the easy option - donate to our charity shops! All those never worn shoes, misguided gifts and unread books which are gathering dust could find a good home through our charity shops. We especially need ladies clothes, shoes, and handbags.
She says: ‘The instant I heard about Trussell Trust foodbanks I knew that I had to get involved. I hate the thought of people going hungry. To be given a chance to help stop others facing the challenges my family grew up with is incredible. What’s more, you never know the struggles of the person who comes into the shop, you could have the chance to make or break their day.’
Thank you !!
We’ve also opened a new second-hand furniture store on Stephenson Road in Salisbury. We’re delighted that our two new shops are helping generate valuable income to help more people in crisis. Thank you to everyone who’s donated or popped in to pick up a bargain.
Find out more: www.trusselltrust.org/shops or 01722 580 183.
Unit 9, Ashfield Trading Estate, Ashfield Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 7HL
enquiries@trusselltrust.org
THE TRUSSELL TRUST The Trussell Trust is a Christian charity that partners with local communities to combat poverty in the UK and Bulgaria.
01722 580 180
Autumn 2013
FOODBANK GIVES HOPE TO MALNOURISHED MUM Suzanne, David and their two boys live in a rundown, concrete towerblock, on an estate outside Glasgow. Just eighteen months ago they were living a comfortable life in a family home in the suburbs. The problems began when Suzanne was made redundant whilst expecting their second child. Shortly afterwards, David, a clinical nurse, suffered a breakdown forcing him to leave work. Suddenly the family’s finances plummeted and they lost their home just weeks before the baby was due. Officially homeless, baby Mason was born and Suzanne and David found themselves skipping meals to feed their two boys. Between them they lost eight stone in weight and Suzanne was too malnourished to breast feed. Disastrously, a mistake by the benefits office meant that the family’s income was then halved, forcing them to live on just £50 per week. The local housing association was so concerned that they referred Suzanne to the foodbank. Suzanne says: ‘The foodbank was a lifesaver. It meant we could eat together as a family for the first time in months. The emotional support was almost as good as the food.’
“ I’ve worked for 25 years and there I was in tears at the Jobcentre with a baby on my lap being told we’d only have £50 per week to live on. Everything I knew and loved about our lives has gone. It’s frightening. I can’t sleep. I lie awake at night worrying that I’m not able to feed my family. I went to the foodbank and it was just such a relief to finally speak to someone who cared and genuinely wanted to help. They gave us hope.” - Mum of two, Suzanne We believe that no-one should go hungry in the UK. Please join us in the fight against food poverty. Respond inside
TRUSSELL TRUST RECOGNISED FOR MEETING GROWING NEED Thanks to people like you, foodbanks are responding quickly to the growing problem of UK hunger by providing emergency food to more people in crisis and signposting them to further support. Charity CEOs from across the UK recognised the impact of foodbanks recently by voting The Trussell Trust as Britain’s ‘Most Admired Charity 2013’ at Third Sector’s Awards ceremony in London. Amazing!
Trussell Trust’s David McAuley accepts award from last year’s winners Help for Heroes
70% www.trusselltrust.org
The Trussell Trust is Reg. Charity No. 1110522 - Reg. Ltd. Co. No. 5434524 - Reg. in England & Wales
people received three days emergency food from a Trussell Trust foodbank in 2012-13 including over 126,000 children
170 percent increase in numbers helped compared with last year
70 percent increase in numbers of Trussell Trust foodbanks launched.