THE foodbank on Cowdenbeath’s Broad Street has been open for just over a month now and is looking for more volunteers.

The premises in the Fountain meeting rooms first opened on 10th March and is open every Tuesday between 4pm and 6pm. There is talk of the facility also being opened on Thursdays and Saturdays as well but this will mean that more people are needed to help out.

The food bank is co-ordinated by the Rev. Gavin Boswell, of Trinity Church, and he spoke to the Times about how things have been going in the first few weeks.

He said, “Each Tuesday has been a success in the sense that even having one client come in means you’ve met somebody’s needs. We’ve had some quite busy afternoons with four or five clients in.

“It’s been going well in the sense of folk are aware that it is open. Our aim is to move to both a Tuesday and Thursday opening this month.” Rev. Boswell said that in terms of volunteers there are 25 people who have been cleared to go ahead and work in the facility but that they could always do with more. He encourages people to go in and look before they commit to working in the food bank.

Volunteer forms are available to pick up and no disclosure or PVG is required, just references.

The Reverend added, “Once they get the green light we find out what their availability is and what times they can do as well as what area they’d like to work in – front of house, chatting to clients or serving tea and coffee.

“The back-room work is packing bags of groceries or helping to restock shelves. The more volunteers we have, the less often folk feel imposed upon to be in the building. They aren’t just restricted to Cowdenbeath either, they can go to Benarty or Dunfermline as well.” The Times asked about the client base and the specifics about what the food bank does on a weekly basis.

Reverend Boswell said, “It’s been a bit random, the people coming in. Recently we had three lots of clients in who would have been coming in a family context. We try and suit people’s needs but the food bank’s philosophy is trying to help in a time of crisis.

“Perhaps somebody has been made redundant or something has happened and they are out of work. Maybe they are waiting on a job or for their benefits to be granted. There might be a period where they are waiting weeks for admin processing and they might find themselves in a situation where they have run out of money so they start to struggle.

“Referral agents are places like the Job Centre or Citizen’s Advice. They get given a numbered voucher so we know where it’s from and can get a bit of background. They are allowed three vouchers over a six-month period”.

He concluded, “The food bank is not there to be a place where someone comes in every week. We help people in a short-term crisis get back on their feet without going to pawn or cash exchange shops. They can’t just walk in off the street and get hand-outs. The need is always there and we encourage the public to donate small amounts directly to us. Tesco is a great supporter and from time to time they do collection days. The public have been very supportive too.

“We are always looking for carrier bags as well so folk can walk out with it being a little less conspicuous for them.

“There is a need from time to time for toiletries, baby products and pet food as well. None of the food in the bank is ever past its expiry date.”