Bournemouth food bank relaunches 14 months after flood

A food bank that was damaged due to flooding 14 months ago has officially re-opened and rebranded.

Kinson and West Howe Foodbank in Bournemouth, next to St. Andrew’s Church, has launched a larger, free community service known as The Sanctuary Project.

Described as a “safe and warm space open to all”, staff also offer housing advice, help with forms, and other practical support.

Project manager Vikki Longman told the BBC: “People need more than just food, so the approach is more holistic now for every aspect.”

She said the cost of living had increased demand for the service, which also has washing machines, tumble dryers, and a shower.

“People just don’t have surplus money anymore,” she explained.

“When something goes wrong that’s a massive chunk of their money… a lot of our community, [they] budget for what they can and cannot afford, and when there’s a surprise, they haven’t allocated the money for that.”

Service user Sasha said: “You don’t realise how much you rely on communicating with people until you’re in that situation, and coming here you just talk to people and they’ll listen to your problems, and it just makes you feel better.”

Cindel, another visitor, added: “I think this is one of the nicest food banks that I’ve been to. They’re very kind, very welcoming. I just really enjoy it here.”

Holly, who recently became homeless with her daughter, said the help provided made her feel less like an “on paper… statistic sort of thing”.

“That’s what they do here, they get you heard, they get you listened to,” she said.

“My life’s changing slightly… but we feel safe, we feel secure, we feel that we can rely on the people that are here.”

The foodbank, which began in 2015 and is staffed by volunteers, is supported by anti-poverty charity Trussell Trust.

The Sanctuary Project is open Monday to Fridays.