Rochdale Foodbank now offers emergency food at weekends

Ogden Baptist volunteers at the opening of the Foodbank Emergency Centre

Rochdale Foodbank is now able to offer emergency food boxes on a Saturday morning between 10.00am and 12 noon at Ogden Baptist Church, Cedar Lane, Newhey.

Emergency food packages will be given in exchange for a Trussell Trust Emergency Foodbank voucher. Vouchers are available from designated agencies based in and around Rochdale Borough.

Foodbank Project Manager, Iain Wight said: “We are delighted with this new and exciting development to our services offered to the Borough. Our friends at Ogden Baptist have been really keen to get involved, and providing a Saturday outreach seemed to be the ideal solution.

"We have long been concerned about people who become aware of a crisis after we close at 1.00pm on a Friday afternoon.

"It can seem a long time till Monday morning if you have no food or money.

"Now, clients can contact Agencies in the normal way, and receive a Blue Emergency Voucher which will give them enough food to keep them going until they can obtain more help from the main Foodbank on Monday with the normal Red Voucher."

Ogden coordinator, Elizabeth Alker added: “We are very pleased to be up and running and working alongside the main Foodbank teams.

"Saturday morning is also an opportunity for anyone in the local area wishing to donate food to the Rochdale Foodbank to drop their donations at the church."