WARRINGTON Foodbank has received a generous batch of donations from staff at United Utilities as the heavily relied on service announces it has reached ‘crisis point’ with a rapid decline in stock levels.

The crucial service which supplies food packages to families in need all over town has felt the full weight of the cost-of-living crisis in recent weeks, feeding more than 2,000 individuals every month.

But despite the stretch that is felt across most of the community this winter, the kind staff at Great Sankey-based United Utilities are doing their best to help keep the organisation afloat.

A collection of donations was organised by the company’s affordability compliance lead, Chloe Savage and senior data analyst, Sonya Howard.

The two employees have been attending the businesses ‘cost of living crisis summits’ weekly and have had their eyes opened to the extent in which some families are struggling in current times.

“The difficulties that many people are facing really hit home at these events,” Chloe said.

“We’ve met mums who are skipping meals so their kids can eat, and elderly people who are having to choose which bills to pay because they can’t afford them all.

“It was a real eye-opener to hear their stories first-hand, and we came away determined to do more to help.”

Vikki O’Donnell, project manager at Warrington Foodbank, said: “This winter we are braced for further significant increases in service users as families struggle with the energy and cost of living crisis.

“More people are being forced to use the foodbank for the first time than ever before.

“We are currently feeding more than 2,000 people each month, with over a third of those being children. This represents a 45% increase this year compared to the same time last year.

“Our stock levels are reaching crisis point as public donations have declined dramatically and we could not continue to do what we do without the support of local businesses such as United Utilities.”

The Foodbank continue to seek donations of food and also request donations of toiletries and carrier bags. Volunteer drivers are also always needed to help deliver the goods to each family. 

Collection organiser, Sonya added: “United Utilities supports its customers in so many ways. Every day we’re speaking to people who are finding it hard to make ends meet, so as we already help them with their water bills, we decided we wanted to do more to help people in Warrington where we’re based.

“Warrington Foodbank is such an important charity and a real lifeline for many, and we knew that our colleagues would give generously. We’re delighted to be providing this vital support and hopefully reminding people that they do not have to struggle alone.”