Whitby Fire Station to help deliver and collect foodbank items

Whitby's foodbank now has a new partner which is the fire service as it has now become a donation station.

Author: Karen LiuPublished 8th Feb 2021

Whitby's foodbank now has a new partner - the fire service.

From last week, the fire station on St Hilda's Terrace has become a drop-off point for any donations of food.

Fire engines could also be helping to deliver them to people who are self-isolating.

Chris Taylor, Trustee of Foodbank4Whitby, said:

"We think it's a great move and they're great lads to be honest. The problem we've found is that certainly with the dark nights and the intricate patterns of streets and alleys in Whitby, it's sometimes very difficult to find a place to deliver to, so it's really great to have the fire brigade delivering the stuff for us.

"We decided very early doors that we weren't going to shut at the time when people needed us, but we had to adapt what we did to take into account of people being within six feet of each other. so we had to cut down the number of volunteers and we're doing more delivers than we ever used to.

"I think what I really want to say about the lockdown is the generosity of the people in the whole town. We have seen an enormous increase in donations, both of money and food, and volunteers during this period. It's been phenomenal."

Whitby Fire Station will be available for donations from 8am til 6pm everyday or call 01947 824080.

Anyone who wishes to donate money can do so by visiting the Foodbank4Whitby website and contacting one of the Trustees. If it's food, then people can also call the foodbank to arrange a delivery or collection.

Visit the website here: https://www.foodbank4whitby.org.uk/

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.