Find all the latest news and events from the foodbank. If you are a member of the press and would like to cover any of our stories please contact us, we'd be happy to work with you.
News and events
East Bristol Foodbank will be running a skeleton service this Friday from 3-30 to 4-30pm
We will only be giving out single persons Foodboxes to people with vouchers as we have less staff than usual available
Normal service will resume on Friday 13th April 2012
Netmums have kindly allowed Trussell Trust Foodbanks pages on their website
For ours click here
http://www.netmums.com/bristol/local/view/local-services/food-banks/east-bristol-foodbank
Look on our home page and click on the new video.
Andy and Brenda went on a short film making course and produced s short film that you can watch now on our East Bristol home page.
East Bristol Foodbank wants to thank local people for being so generous.
We had a great day at Tesco, Eastgate on Saturday 10th December and collected 820Kg of food and nearly £300 cash from folks doing their shopping prior to Christmas.
Thanks also goes to local volunteers and a group of staff and students from Bristol Cathedral Choir School who made it such a fun event.
We collected add on items like Christmas Puddings, Chocolates and Mince Pies - to add to the usual food we give out.
Pictured below are some of the folks who volunteered on the day. (Courtesy of the Evening Post)
A Bumper Collection!
East Bristol Foodbank Is Overwhelmed By Local Schools, Churches and Individuals Generosity
We want to thank all the local Bristol and South Gloucestershire Schools and Churches who gave us over two tonnes of food from their Harvest Collections.
Whitehall, May Park, Aston Vale, Cherry Garden, Holy Family, Trinity, Watermore Schools bowled us over with their enthusiasm and enjoyment in giving food. We have already started giving food to families who are struggling to feed their children as a result.
St Annes, St Thomas Mar Thoma, Easton Family Centre, Salem, Chelsea Christian Centre, St Marks Baptist, Trinity Tabernacle and the Julian Trust have also been brilliant.
Here is a picture of Ashton Vale Year 3 Children with their schools offering 
More than 30 volunteers will be helping us collect and store food from shoppers at Tesco Eastgate this weekend.
We will be there from 10am to 7pm Saturday and 2 - 4pm Sunday asking shoppers to donate some items of food.
We have already used up the food from the collection two months ago so are grateful to Tesco's for their generous offer of another date so soon.
After 2 months our Foodbank fed it's 100th person last Friday. This is effectively 900 meals.
We have seen a steady increase in the number of people coming to us to receive food. We are now seeing more food going out than coming in and are glad we have our next Tesco collection coming up this Saturday 10th September at Eastgate. Our number of referral agencies has tripled since we started and it has been good getting some positive feedback from them. Some have already needed a second batch of vouchers as they have seen a real need to give them out quickly.
Andy Irwin
Volunteers from Local Area Involved
20 Volunteers are helping us collect items of food from shoppers at Tesco, Eastville today, between 10am and 7pm. They include people representing four local churches.
We are grateful to Tesco's Community Champion for giving us this chance to collect food from local people to feed local people.
The Evening Post reported on this yesterday.
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Shoppers-asked-buy-needy/story-12940122-detail/story.htm
Collected food to go in our newly donated warehouse space
Andy Irwin, East Bristol Foodbanks Project Manager, said 'We are thrilled to have been donated 200 square feet of warehouse space by Big Yellow Self Storage. Eight of us started constructing the shelving last night. This will allow us to store over four tonnes of food. This will allow us to feed families in Crisis for weeks and set up further outlets to feed people in the surrounding parts of East Bristol later.'
East Bristol Foodbank will be collecting food items from shoppers this Friday from 10am to 7pm.
Tesco Extra at Eastville have kindly allowed us to do this and we hope to collect enough food to feed local families throughout the summer.
Two families came to us on our first day of opening. Three new referral agencies came onboard the same afternoon. 'It was a bit chaotic as we were learning on our feet, but tremendously satisfying to see people in real need get support from us also. The dream has become a reality at last' said Project Leader, Andy Irwin.
Below is a photo of the proud team, Steve, Andy, Lesley, Brenda and Pat.
Congratulations Ruth, Jason and Max for completing their Great North Swim challenge.
Ruth swam a mile with Max and Jason covering the half mile. An un named tabloid style spokesperson said Ruths practice meant she emerged from the water triumphant. Max and Jason survived and Jason stated that a bit more training might have caused less aches and pains.
There's still time to sponsor their great endeavour at this page. and see more photographs
http://www.justgiving.com/Ruth-Bullock/?fb_ref=fundraising-page-top&fb_source=profile_oneline
We are looking to recruit volunteers and helpers and have a simple form that can be completed and returned to us. We will then contact you and have a chat to see how you can play a part in the project.
For some roles we will need to run a CRB check and we will be inviting new volunteers to complete a CRB form next Tuesday 21st June 2011 at the Wild Goose Cafe. We can also chat in person more with you as well and you can meet some of the team.
Volunteer forms can be e mailed or posted to you - contact us by e mail at ebfoodbank@yahoo.co.uk or call us on 07584625082.
Jason, Max and Ruth are swimming in The Great North Swim 2011 next week in aid of our Foodbank. Please follow the link to their Just Giving page below and sponsor them online.
http://www.justgiving.com/Ruth-Bullock
East Bristol Foodbank had a great launch on Tuesday this week with eighty people attending. Various representatives from local schools, churches, nurseries, health centres, statutory and voluntary agencies were there. Chris Moulds, Director of the Trussell Trust described how local foodbanks had impacted local communities across the country. Andy Irwin, Project Leader, explained also how local people could be involved in the project.
The local newspaper, The Bristol Evening Post, published an article the following day that can be read online by clicking the following link.
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Project-ensure-needy-fed/story-12730191-detail/story.html
Friday 10th June 2011 is the start date of our new website. Look in every day as we develop it and add new links, information and ways to get involved.
You're more likely to know him for his roles in Love Actually and Pirates of the Caribbean rather than combatting poverty, but actor Bill Nighy is a keen campaigner on social justice. As one of the voices of the Robin Hood Tax campaign, Bill wanted to find out more about UK poverty and Oxfam suggested that he visit a Trussell Trust foodbank!
On Wednesday we took Bill to Hammersmith and Fulham foodbank where he met foodbank clients, heard their stories and even packed a foodbox himself. At the end of his visit we asked Bill what he thought, he told us: 'It's very moving to come here in modern times to see a room incredibly well stocked with donated food for people who, through no fault of their own, have dropped through the cracks. The fact that the people here volunteer to help is both touching and exemplary. I salute all those involved.'
Watch Guardian online's film of Bill's visit
