Edinburgh food bank launches desperate plea as stocks run critically low

An urgent appeal has been launched by an Edinburgh food bank as it runs critically low on a number of items.

The Edinburgh Food Project based in Saughton will soon be unable to provide crucial emergency food parcels if crisis donations fail to materialise.

The organisation issued a plea on social media requesting donors urgently help replenish stocks.

The project, based on Broomhouse Road, had managed to fulfil the orders for this week but said they would struggle to provide the necessary items for families in the coming weeks.

Warehouse manager Barry Ashdown said: “It’s a real shame that we need to put an appeal out but coming into the summer months it has become a struggle to fulfil the need.

“There is a lot of generosity and we are very thankful for what people do throughout the year but we still have a need and we still need to continue to fill food parcels.

“It is the bank holiday weekend and people are thinking of barbecues and summer holidays and we’ve got clients that are thinking about where they get their next meal from.

“The aim is obviously to not have a need for food banks, it is an aspiration, but in the meantime we need to keep this on the agenda.”

Stock image. The Foodbank warned its stocks are critically low. Picture: TSPL

Barry also thanked the generosity of the volunteers and the “amazing” job they do, adding that people can also donate their time as well as food products.

Their 11 item wish-list was tweeted out with the Edinburgh Food Project urging people to make “emergency donations”. As it stands, they will not have enough of their key ingredients to make up next week’s food parcels.

It said: “We are currently running CRITICALLY LOW on 11 of our key items. As it stands we do not have enough food to make up next week’s food parcels and so we are asking for emergency donations.

“Please retweet this post and let the world know!”

The 11 items are: UHT milk, long life fruit juice, coffee, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, curry or pasta sauce, confectionary or biscuits, tinned rice or custard, tinned potatoes, breakfast cereal and rice.

Food banks work on a referral basis where food that is donated, then sorted by volunteers, is given to those in need. Food banks partner with a wide range of care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers and police to identify people in crisis and issue them with a food bank voucher.

Food bank clients bring their voucher to a food bank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food.

Donate to 12, New Lairdship Yards, Broomhouse Road or visit www.edinburghnw.foodbank.org.uk for more drop-off locations.