On 29th April Tenpin Bowling in West Swindon was once again taken over by a horde of Swindon Foodbank supporters, all enjoying a fabulous night of Unlimited Bowling. 

Once again this event was amazingly popular amongst all ages, with 13 lanes vying for the coveted titles on offer. Thank you to all those who supported the event, you are all winners in our eyes!

The titles for the evening where as follows.

• Best Junior:   Bailey Gallagher - 195 points
• Best Female:  Tracey Barber (Devizes Road Mob) - 208 points
• Best Male:  Jamie (Wroughton Rollers) - 372 points
• Best team score:  The Boomers - Avg 227 points per player.

A large thank you goes to the team at Shaw Ridge Ten Pin for all their hard work in ensuring the event ran smoothly.

The Rotary Club of Swindon Old Town have announced that fifty percent of the proceeds from their ever popular Duck Race of Swindon will go this year to Swindon Foodbank. 

The Swindon Duck Race has raised thousands of pounds for Swindon charities over the past 12 years - last year alone over £10,000 was raised for the chosen charities!

At the event launch at the Lalbagh Restaurant on Rodbourne Road, the Rotary Club announced they wanted to hit their 10,000 duck target this year. They are again offering a £1,000 prize for the winning duck, with an additional 6 runners up prizes of £100 each. 

Members of the Rotary Club braved freezing weather on the coldest day of the year to start selling the ducks at the Outlet Centre. Let's hope the ducks are not skating on ice on the day of the race! 

Click here for for details of the race, and where you can buy your duck from! 

Foodbank supporters enjoyed a fabulous evening on 27 October at the Foodbank Hop - an evening of dancing and great entertainment. 

Rock and roll band "Wild" provided a wonderful musical backdrop to the 1950s themed evening, and a group of dancers from Just Jive were on hand to encourage some jive-action on the dance floor. There was a roaming caricaturist on hand to show us a different view of ourselves! And some of us were reminded what food used to be like back in the 50s! 

We were blessed with incredible generosity from companies and individuals throughout Swindon, giving us amazing raffles prizes and 11 splendid silent auction lots. Altogether the evening raised a superlative £1,000 for Swindon Foodbank, which will go towards our running costs ensuring we continue to meet the needs of Swindon people in crisis. 

Many thanks to everyone involved in the evening, from the planning, donating prizes, to those who came and danced the night away! 

The need for feeding the hungry continues to grow - and so does the support which Swindon Foodbank receives. And, as the advertising campaign tells us - every little bit of support does help! 

In a recent press release it was reported that the charity Kids Company has seen a 293% increase in number of children going to school hungry. Whilst we have not seen such a dramatic rise in Swindon we have seen an increase in the number of families coming through our doors. So whilst the economic climate may no longer be the headline story the issue has far from gone away. So again I thank all our friends and supporters for another month of being there for the people of Swindon.

Here are just some of the ways we were helped in the last month.

College Clean Up

New College student Mark Foster recently organised for him and a group of fellow students to run a car wash service. As well as inviting Lee to give a brief talk to his class on the work of Swindon Foodbank, he organised, with help from his tutor, all the practicalities of the day, such as water etc. Sacrificing their time, the group raised an impressive £40.00. Thanks Mark and all the team - well done! 

Mark Foster, New College car wash organiser

It all Adds Up! 

Who said accountants just sit down all day?! This month we had a team of volunteers from MorrisOwen get stuck in to categorising and storing donated food after our recent supermarket collection. Ellie Groves and the team spent a day at the Warehouse sorting cans and packets, and packing foodboxes. And, as we know that a bit of fun makes work go faster - they even had time to have a speed packing competition! 

Support from employee volunteer schemes is fantastic for Swindon Foodbank, giving us the opportunity to spread our message in a big way, as well as develop greater links with the community. If your office would like to spend an afternoon or evening helping at the Warehouse - do get in touch! 

The team from MorrisOwen compete in a speed packing competition...

Sainsburys Big Shop

Our most recent supermarket collection was at Sainsburys Bridgemead, and what a great day it was. We collected a grand total of 1.5tonnes! The generosity of the Sainsburys shoppers was such that our first van load was sent back to the Warehouse by 11.45am! 

These supermarket collections only happen through the time given to us by our volunteers, such as Rosemarie and her grandson Harry. Our Greeters on the front door did a great job letting shoppers know what we needed by handing out Swindon Foodbank shopping lists, while the Warehouse Team did a fantastic job behind the scenes processing all the food as it came in. The day is really a team effort and everyone pulled together - thank you! 

It's a family affair: Rosemarie Schofield and grandson Harry manning the doors at Sainburys

A wet start to the summer didn't deter the golfers of Swindon coming out to support Swindon Foodbank at our first Foodbank Cup.

Our first golf tournament was held on June 2nd, and proved to be popular amongst all who entered despite the miserable weather. The Foodbank Cup raised over £200 to help both Swindon Foodbank and Swindon Restore.

The rain held off just long enough for the players to complete their rounds, allowing the winning team of Alex Hill, Jon Driver, Martin Bennett, Russell Driver, to go home with the championship title. Individual honours went to Alex Hill; the Longest Drive award went to Ian Abrams; and nearest the pin to Simon Dubbin.  

Our thanks go to all who entered and to Woodbridge Park Golf Club who generously let us use their facilities. Keep your eyes peeled for news of the rematch...

For more information on Woodbridge park go to www.woodbridgeparkgolfclub.co.uk

Congratulations to winning team Alex, Jon, Martin & Russell (above)

Individual honours to Alex Hill (below)

Craig, Lee & Alex are going to tackle the three peaks of the UK - Craig tells us why - 

"As a lot of people are aware as a charity we like to fund-raise from time to time. In previous years Richard and a group of friends and volunteers have taken part in a coast to coast challenge, this year however we felt we would try something a little different.

Lee has come up with the idea of doing the Three Peaks Trek. Not the challenge but a joint venture involving Lee, Alex Pollock (Swindon Restore's Project Manager) and myself (Craig Evenden).

We are doing this with the aim of raising funds for Swindon Christian Community Projects who oversee Swindon Foodbank and Swindon Restore and the ongoing costs involved in running these wonderful charities.

Now, I'm no fitness guru - but I do try to get at least an hour of football in a day, albeit on the computer whilst my wife is out! So we are looking to put ourselves through the paces before we attempt to take on the 3 largest mountains in the United Kingdom - Snowdon in Wales (1,085m), Scafell Pike in England (978m) and Ben Nevis in Scotland (1,344m) in September.

You have to go back to 2008 to the last time this was done for Swindon Foodbank, a group of volunteers ventured out over that weekend and raised a magnificent sum of £2,000. We would love to raise that kind of figure again and even better it if we can, especially now as there are two charities involved."

If you would like to sponsor the three of them, please get in contact by emailing at office@swindonfoodbank.co.uk or by phoning 01793 978045.

Download the sponsorship form

We are pleased to announce

A fantastic event organised for all golfers and would-be golfers to come enjoy a round of golf at Woodbridge Park Golf Club, while also raising funds for Swindon Foodbank. 

For information, and to download a poster, visit the Events page

Swindon Foodbank were bowled over by the support received for our second bowling event, held at the beginning of April. We had a fabulous and successful evening, with more than a dozen teams enjoying a great night with unlimited bowling. Many thanks for those who lane juggled to enable everyone to play - next time we may well have to take over the whole venue!

Special thanks go to Anna and Russell for organising the evening, to the Ten Pin team for use of the venue and to Jan Kilby from Asda West Swindon who not only spent the entire evening running around collecting score sheets but also donated the chocolate prizes. As always saving the best til last, thank you to all those who came out to support the event. Apart from being great fun, the evening raised £1000 to support the work we do, and you can be assured it will be put to good use. The prediction for 2012 is that we will serve over 4000 people in Swindon this year.

And the winners are ……

Best Junior - Rebecca Pratley (Not only the winner - but the birthday girl too!)

Best female - Jenny Gray from The Dimpled Dodos

Best Male - Craig (Have you seen my medal?) Evenden

Best Team: Time for Heroes (Intel)

We've had some great times lately raising funds for Swindon Foodbank. Here's a little taster of what we've been up to - keep an eye out for future events too and join in! 

Quiz Night

We hold quiz nights at the Trinity Centre, Westlea every other month, and the championship is always fought for with passion! In February we had a great turn out with 15 teams taking part! With some devious - and a some would say dubious - questions, the final scores were quite close, and new team Odd Shaped Balls took the cup home, defeating previous champions Bhutan. We hope to see both teams again in May for a re-match. (I promise - no questions on motorcycles...!)

Musical Night

In February we had a very special evening when a troupe of West End singers serenaded us while we enjoyed a 3-course meal - wonderful! But don't take my word for it - here's what one of the audience said:

"We had a great time at Foodbank's 'West End' evening. Performing songs from a wide range of musical theatre, the singers delighted us with their beautiful voices. We were taken from the joys of 'A song that goes like this' from Spamalot; to love songs such as 'Love changes everything' from Aspects of love; to the raw emotion of 'Bring him home' from Les Miserables. Along with the delicious three-course meal, it made for a truly enjoyable night out. We also had a family portrait taken, and for a bargain price. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in organising and serving, and look forward to the next Foodbank fund-raising evening." Alex D

Swindon Foodbank has announced that it will be holding another silent auction at their West End Music evening on February 12th. 

The event is planned to be a fabulous evening of fine dining mixed with the music of the West End theatre, being sung live by top performers. At previous events such as the Swindon Foodbank Balls, silent auctions have been a great success, and so it was decided to hold another one. 

"We have a great range of prizes," said Lee Thompson, who has recently taken up the post of Project Manager at Foodbank, "Including a very special top prize. One of our supporters has very kindly offered a week's holiday in their holiday home in Crete for the auction!

"We're anticipating a wonderful, successful night, it's going to be special!"

Swindon Foodbank is pleased to announce a truly unique evening of entertainment happening in February 2012.

On Sunday February 12th for just one night, Swindon’s Marriott Hotel will host this unique event where show songs and fine dining mix to provide a truly ‘West End’ experience. Five performers from London West End stage musicals will be performing for Swindon Foodbank. While enjoying stunning performances of classic songs from shows such as Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, guests will also enjoy a three course meal.

This superb evening is only £45 per person, with all proceeds going directly to Swindon Foodbank.

To find out more and see previous performances from this incredible group of talented West End stars by clicking here.

Tickets are on sale now from Swindon Foodbank, just click the booking link below.

Alternatively ring 01793 978045 to book. Grab your tickets now before they’re sold out - they could make an excellent Christmas present!

Don't miss this amazing event - book your tickets now!

If you had visited Mega Bowl Swindon on 24th October you might have been forgiven for thinking Swindon Foodbank had taken over! 

We had a fantastic evening of unlimited bowling - where supporters of Swindon Foodbank took up 13 lanes! Through a great night of bowling fun, including competitions to find the best bowlers and top teams everyone had a great evening. Staff from Intel came out in force to support the night, and managed to take several of the prizes, while setting some great records ready to be challenged when we hold our next bowling evening! 

Altogether the event raised £580.00 for Swindon Foodbank, essential funds which will ensure that Swindon Foodbank can continue its vital work of feeding Swindon residents in crisis. 

Swindon Foodbank has been nominated to be the "Charity of the Month" at John Lewis through July, August and September. We are competing against 2 other charities for a share in the £3,000 the store will give away. 

Customers at John Lewis receive a green disc when they make any size purchase. They can then chose to drop a disc into the box of the charity of their choice. Each charity will receive a share of the £3,000 according to the number of discs they receive. 

Currently one of the other two charities is taking most of the vote, with Swindon Foodbank and the third charity sharing the remainder roughly equally. Every 'disc' counts - so please do take the chance to vote whenever you can. 

Endurance runner Alex Panayotou has announced her intention to run 2,000km around the UK in May 2012, visiting Foodbanks on the way. Each Foodbank is invited to take part...

To make the most of 2012, a year which will see both the London Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Foodbank supporter Alex is going to run a 2,000km circuit around the UK, starting and ending in London. Throughout May she plans to run an impressive 70km each day (‘only’ 30km on Sundays); along the way she aims to visit as many Foodbanks as possible, drawing local and national publicity for the entire Network. Her epic feat of endurance will end at a spectacular finale back in London during the Jubilee weekend.

Individual Foodbanks are being invited to make the most of this amazing opportunity to raise both awareness and funds for their work. The Foodbank Network is asking Foodbanks and their supporters to host open events on the day when Alex arrives in their town, and get local press to cover the event.

The Swindon Foodbank team wants to hear from you, our supporters, how you’d like to get involved in the event. Here are some ideas:

• Alex is going to need some nourishment and rest when she arrives. We’d like to host something - perhaps hosting a tea party or celebration - at the Warehouse, and invite local dignitaries and press to welcome her.

• Are there runners out there who would like to run part of the journey with Alex - maybe the last mile (or more!) as she runs into Swindon, and get sponsorship?

• sporting types might like to hold a sports event to coincide with Alex’s arrival day - a football tournament? a triathlon? even an egg and spoon race?! Let us know your ideas!

• There are also going to be some cooking related events hosted around the country to coincide with Alex’s run, again highlighting Foodbank’s work of feeding people. How about putting on a Ready! Steady! Cook! event, where teams compete to create great meals using the ingredients in a Foodbank Foodbox?

If you would like to be involved and like these ideas, or have your own, we want to hear from you. To make sure the day is a day to remember, it’s good to start planning even now. Start by registering your interest with us, and we’ll build on from there.

Let’s make 2012 a celebration year for Swindon Foodbank!

It costs thousands of pounds to keep Swindon Foodbank running, with administrative, staff and vehicle costs to meet. Swindon Foodbank is completely funded entirely through voluntary donations and the fundraising efforts of our supporters. 

Sponsored events are very popular for fundraising activities. Recently Phil Deaves gained sponsorship for the unique effort of travelling to work by unicycle! His fantastic idea raised £245.00. 

Earlier in the summer our own Richard Belsham was part of a 6 man team who took up the Coast to Coast cycle challenge. The sponsorship money is still coming in, but so far the total is looking to be about £1,700.00!

It seems that wheel power is doing well for Swindon Foodbank! 

The Swindon Christian Community Projects (SCCP) is progressing its plans for the start of a new project in Swindon called Swindon ReStore, which they hope to be able to launch within the next four months. 

The project is 'more than a charity shop' - it aims to provide shopping and recycling facilities to the whole community, create volunteering opportunities for all ages and abilities and provide a listening ear to the local community. 

SCCP has identified potential premises for the project, and are in the process of making the relevant application for change of use for the building. Unfortunately the lease cannot be signed until the change of use permission is granted and this process can take up to two months to go through. Please pray for all involved in the planning committees, those processing the application and for God's blessing on the outcome. In the meantime the SCCP team are getting as prepared as they can be so that when the application is granted they will be able to move ahead at full steam. 

Set up costs for the project - which will need to cover setting up the premises, from decorating to pens, pencils and staplers in the office and tables, chairs, kettles and cups in the cafe - are still being calculated so that the work of fundraising can begin, but look to be in the region of £60,000. If you would like to support the work, you can send a donation via Swindon Foodbank, clearly marked as for Swindon Restore project. 

If you are an employer or you think your company would be sympathetic to the project, please get in touch and we can arrange to give a more detailed insight into the project and the benefits it will bring to Swindon residents. 

Our team of cyclists set off on the Coast to Coast challenge 2010 on Sunday 18th July.

Richard Belsham, Barbara Webb, Maurice Webb, Ben Morkot, Bob Hayward & Julie Hayward are cycling 103 miles from Ilfracombe to Plymouth over four days, leaving from the Trinity Centre, Stonehill Green, Westlea at 9am. We'd love a good crowd of people to join us at the Trinity Centre to send them on their way with style, so come join us!

There's sure to be some news and photos from the team as they go, so keep your eye out on the website for updates. 

We pray for good weather, safe travel and of course - lots of sponsorship raised! There's still time to get some more sponsorship of course - download the sponsorship form and help us reach our target of £2,000.

SCCP are continuing their discussions regarding St. Johns as a possible location for ReStore The board has approved the proposed scope of the project. St. Johns will enable us to have a variety of activities including furniture restoration, furniture shop, cafe and meeting place, online sales of books and higher value items and a community craft centre.

The next steps will include the completion of a business plan, planning application and fundraising! A project this involved is going to need a lot of community support to get off the ground. If you are interested in getting involved in this exciting new project for Swindon, please contact Tracey Kirk via Swindon Foodbank.

The plans for this year’s Coast to Coast challenge are continuing to come together. While we are still finalising all the riders tackling the course in order to raise funds for Swindon Foodbank, arrangements for the event are progressing.

We’ve booked the B&Bs for everyone, and our support team has grown. However we still need help to transport people and bikes to Ilfracombe on Sunday 18th July, and back home from Plymouth on Friday 23rd or Saturday 24th July. If you’re able to help we’d love to hear from you!

The planned itinerary is as follows:

• Sun 18th July - travel to Ilfracombe
• Mon 19th July - cycle from Ilfracombe to Bideford (26 miles)
• Tues 20th July - cycle from Bideford to Okehampton (30 miles)
• Wed 21st July - cycle from Okehampton to Tavistock (23 miles)
• Thurs 22nd July - cycle from Tavistock to Plymouth (24 miles)

That’s a total of 103 miles!

Cyclists will then return to Swindon on the Friday - unless they decide to recover with a weekend in Plymouth - and who could blame them?

Most of all - we need your help in promoting the event. Sponsorship forms are now available to download, could you help to raise sponsorship for our brave cyclists? We’re aiming to raise £2,000 this year, but we can only do that with your help. As well as raising vital funds, the more people who know about it helps to raise our profile. As Swindon Foodbank becomes better known throughout Swindon we are hoping for an increased support from the local community.

Download C2C 2010 Sponsorship Form

If you’d like to promote the challenge in your office, church or social group, contact the Swindon Foodbank office for promotional material.

Last  year's cyclists

So many companies supported the Ball this year, and we would like to extend our gratitude to each of them for their generosity. Companies from as far as Scotland were willing to support, donate prizes and buy tickets in order that we had a wonderful evening.

Daniel Lane created a promotional film. 

Pawlan Dance provided a dance instructor. 

Martin Bennett donated a proportion of their profits from the night.  

Sponsorship packages were offered by:

Be More Effective, Big Yellow, Kendle Bell, ToInfinity, Coutts and Trak Recruitment.  

The following companies supported in other ways, many donating prizes for the Silent Auction and Prize Draw: De Vere Hotel, Hilton Hotel, The Pampered Chef, Letterfinlay, Hotel Chocolat, The Body Shop, Vine UK Ltd, Fit4Less, Homebase, Candles Naturally, Sew Craft, Fratello’s, The Lambert Arms, Swindon Onsite Massage, Atrium Gallery and Magnum Wine Shop. 

Without the support of these companies and our wonderful volunteers the Ball would not have been the success that it was. All we can say is a huge thank you!

This year’s Foodbank Ball - themed around Strictly Come Dancing - was a huge success, raising over £3,000 towards the running of Swindon Foodbank! 

The function room at the Hilton Hotel was a wonderful venue for the Ball, which saw 135 people dressed in their finest gathering together for a fantastic evening hosted by Howard Taylor of Heart FM. After a sumptuous four-course meal everyone was encouraged onto the dance floor for a lesson in the Cha Cha Cha from Anne of Pawlan Dance. In a few cases it may have looked a little like bumper cars, but there was certainly some emerging dance talent on show. 

Once we’d learnt our steps there was plenty of time to dance the night away to the music of Boulevard Swing, providing live music all evening. And for those wanting a special memento to remember the evening Martin Bennett Photography were on hand to capture some great photos, generously giving a commission to Swindon Foodbank from all photos sold on the night. 

The Ball received amazing support both from local companies and some further afield, many donating excellent prizes for the Silent Auction and the Prize Draw which between them, through the generosity of the Ball guests, raised nearly £1,600! We’d like to say a huge thank you to them all for helping making the Ball a real success. 

During the evening we were delighted to be able to premiere a short promotional film for Swindon Foodbank, created by Dan Lane. The film captures the heart of Foodbank’s vision and work, and was a great way to ensure that the evening was a celebration of the amazing work which Foodbank is continually doing in Swindon to help people in crisis. We’re very grateful to Dan for this film, which we can now use in speaking engagements in order to promote Swindon Foodbank. 

Such a wonderful night can only be followed up in one way - with plans for next year’s! So if you missed out this year, keep Friday 4th March 2011 clear in your calendar and join us for the Foodbank Ball 2011!

Less than two weeks to go - and we're getting excited about the upcoming Foodbank Ball. Becki was at last year's Ball - here's why she thinks you should be excited too!

"If you're looking for a good night out but want to do and go somewhere different, then look no further than the Foodbank Ball. I have been to both previous Swindon Foodbank Balls, and I am yet to be disappointed! You can find everything you a looking for in a good night out - good food, entertainment, lots of dancing - and the best part is knowing you are supporting a fantastic local charity. 

Last year's Ball was extra special for me because it was on my birthday; my childhood dream of going to a birthday ball was fulfilled, and it was a truly fantastic evening. Between the singing waiters and the live band, a good night was had by all. Anyone who doesn't go this year is missing out on a great night and a great opportunity to support Swindon Foodbank make a difference to local people. 

So dust off your 'glad-rags' and prepare yourself for a good night!"

We hope you agree. Visit the Foodbank Ball website to buy your tickets. 

Last year Richard and Tom cycled the coast to coast challenge - through some pretty nasty weather. Their mammoth effort was rewarded when they raised £1,300 for Swindon Foodbank. 

Keen to build on their success Richard is planning to repeat the challenge in July.  This year he is hoping to be joined by a larger team - 6 adventurers have signed up to accompany Richard cycling across scenic Dartmoor, starting on July 18th. 

This new route, from Ilfracombe Harbour to Plymouth Hoe, is 102 miles long, with about 70 miles off road, and climbs to a high of 1400ft. The team hope to complete the ride over four days. 

If you’d like to support Richard and the team there are several options:

* Are you a cyclist? Then why not join up for the challenge? If you’d like to join the cycling team, please contact us by March 1st. 

* Maybe you can’t make the week’s challenge, but would like to be involved in the training? Help encourage us as we train up to the event.

* Not into cycling? Then join us a member of the support team, providing meals or driving the support van

* Raise awareness and sponsorship - we’re aiming to raise over £2,000 this year. Help us get extra sponsorship by raising awareness of the challenge to friends, colleagues and your boss. 

If you’d like any further information, or you want to get involved in anyway, please get in contact. Let’s make this a 2010 fundraising success!

The 2010 Foodbank Ball is nearly upon us, and with less than 3 weeks to go, have you made sure there’s room for you? We’re expecting this year to be our best Ball yet so I’m really hoping you don’t miss out.

You can literally shake off the winter blues by getting a group of up to 10 friends and family together for an evening of celebration and dancing fun! 

We all know that this past year has been Swindon Foodbank’s busiest yet - and we want to say a big thank you to you our loyal supporters. And the Foodbank ball is our way of doing just that. Plus, with your help we can reach our goal of 100 guests and raise desperately needed funds and awareness for the great work Swindon Foodbank does in our town. 

So please, gather together your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours and get on down to the Strictly Foodbank Ball. Tickets are just £45.00 each, and include:

 * ‘Bubbly’ reception with a choice of drinks on arrival 

 * Great food - an exquisite 4 course ‘at table’ buffet dinner. 

 * Swinging live, big band music provided by Boulevard Swing

 * Brilliant fun learning some simple, or not so simple, dance moves from Swindon’s very own expert dance instructor Anne Williams

Remember - whether you come on your own or bring 50 guests - simply order your tickets today and join us in celebrating the good work you’ve helped to achieve this past year. 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Richard Belsham

Swindon Foodbank - Project Manager

P.S. We also need help finding some great raffle prizes or auction lots. If you have any ideas or can twist the arm of your contacts - please contact the Foodbank Ball team.

P.P.S. Tickets are just £45 each - that’s £5 less than 2009! Come along and support a great local cause. Thank you. 

www.foodbankball.org

0844 6698459

When Swindon Foodbank opened in 2005 all our resources, from stationery to warehouse racking, were donated. One of the greatest resources we received quite early on was the Swindon Foodbank Van, donated initially for two years, through a contact of one of the Directors. It soon became the life blood of the Charity, collecting food from churches, schools and individuals to the Warehouse and then from the Warehouse to the Distribution Centre.

In January 2008 the loan of the van was reviewed; unfortunately the car dealership that had supplied the van had to be sold, and despite various attempts we were unable to get a meeting with the new owners of the company to discuss a new agreement.  Finally, in October 2008, we wrote a letter asking for their decision as the Tax and MOT were both due at the end of November.  This prompted a response asking the van be returned at the end of the month.  They offered to sell us the van for £5,000 but Foodbank simply didn’t have the funds.  Suddenly we were faced with the reality of losing this vital resource to our work, without any idea how we would be able to replace it.

The day after we received this news Richard was travelling up to London with staff from Carillion, who had been nominated for an award for their work in the Community. Carillion had been supporters of Foodbank since early 2008 when they had sponsored our first Ball, and since then were providing two members of staff for two hours each week to help in the Warehouse. Discussion turned to Foodbank’s current needs, and Richard explained about the situation with the van. Carillion undertook to see if they could find something for us through their contacts.  Meanwhile, the PA to one of the Senior staff talked to her husband who worked for BBC Radio Swindon; he arranged for Richard to be interviewed during the breakfast programme on Thursday 20^th November.  The Swindon Advertiser picked up on the story and ran an article the next day. 

As a result of this publicity Foodbank began to receive offers of support, beginning with a donation of £1,000 on the Friday afternoon! We had several offers of loan vehicles to bridge the gap until we could source another van and further donations of money towards the cost of replacing the van. By the time we got to Monday 24^th November we had received several donations, a small van that we could use in a part exchange deal, and even offers from two companies towards a van’s running costs.  

Initially we thought we would probably need to lease a vehicle, and one company offered a regular contribution towards this cost. However, by Monday 24^th we had received enough donations that we were able to seriously contemplate an outright purchase. We began talking to car dealers, and one van in particular, which had only come on the market that weekend, stood out as a possibility. After a little negotiation with Fish Brothers we had our new van!

Through Fish Brothers we had contact with a signwriting company who offered their services without charge, and also an insurance broker who found us a competitive quote, considerably less than we had been paying. Finally, on Friday 27^th we had another offer to buy a van for us; when we advised them that we had already secured a van they offered to make a contribution towards Richard’s salary instead!

It was an incredible week and we were extremely encouraged by the support shown from so many people and companies in the town. We are amazed at the way God brought everything together to provide for us in this way. 

Following the success of the Coast to Coast (C2C) sponsored cycle ride last year a number of people have expressed an interest in doing another cycle ride to raise money for Foodbank. We'd all like to avoid the extreme conditions and gradients experienced in the northern run, so we are proposing to cycle the Coast to Coast route that runs from Plymouth to Ilfracombe across the county of Devon, in the week beginning 18th July 2010. 

In order to discuss the practicalities and details of this venture we propose holding a meeting for all those interested on Sunday 31^st January 2010 at Gateway Church, West Swindon at 2pm. If you are interested in joining in the challenge, or supporting the cyclists, please come along. (bring along your lunch with)

There are several websites that feature this route, but the main ones to recommend are Sustrans and the BBC report from Liz Scott.  Just put Devon Coast to Coast into Google and you will find them.

The Swindon Foodbank team successfully completed the Coast to Coast cycle ride on 17th July.

They covered 138 miles in four days - in some pretty nasty weather!