December 11, 2019 8.59 am This story is over 51 months old

Lincoln food bank ‘blown away’ by new van ahead of Christmas

Volunteers had been driving a 15-year-old van
The food bank has been given a brand new van. Photo: Ben Hoare and Alive Media

A Lincoln food bank has been “blown away” after a local company donated a new van ahead of the busy Christmas period.

Lincs Van Hire generously gave the new van to Lincoln Foodbank and offered to maintain it on a free five-year lease.

When they delivered the van they also added hundreds of pounds worth of food in the back.

The food bank team use a van to drive around to various collection points before taking the donations to the warehouse and then onto distribution points.

Volunteers had been driving a 15-year-old van around which had no working radio or heater and cost a lot of money to maintain.

The team behind the food bank said that the van will be a huge help, especially with a recent spike in demand.

It’s a much newer model. Photo: Ben Hoare and Alive Media

In 2019, Lincoln Foodbank gave out 2,279 coupons to 4,668 people, which is a 23.7% increase in demand from the previous year.

Matthew Broadbent is the managing director at Lincs Van Hire and said: “I think we all take for granted being able to cook a meal when there are people out there that can’t do that.”

Simon Hoare, chief Executive for Acts Trust which manages Lincoln Foodbank, said: “To have a van of this quality is a real boost to the team.

“It means their own work environment is really good. It’s a bigger van. It’s efficient, and for the city, it’s a great service.”