Local Buyers Club community donates 1,500 meals for Food Banks

Local food banks have been able to provide the equivalent to more than 1,500 meals for residents in poverty thanks to campaigning by the Local Buyers Club.

The discount card, which promotes local and independent businesses, has donated a share of its profits to buy supplies for Hackney Food Bank, set up new permanent drop-off points for the community to donate food and, with its sister company StokeyParents, collected meals at Christmas for families in crisis.

Basil Fansa, co-founder of the Local Buyers Club, said: “The response to our campaign has been overwhelming, week after week we’ve collected car loads of food donations from the various drop-off points and delivered them to Hackney, Haringey and Islington Food Banks. 

“Since we launched in the summer we’ve collected the equivalent to over 1,500 meals for people experiencing financial hardship in the communities we serve. Our enormous thanks go to everyone who has donated. 

“Sadly local need is immense – donations were good in December but they tend to drop off in the New Year. We’re committed to supporting Food Banks for as long as it’s needed so we’ll be doing much more to help in 2018.

Each year Hackney Food Bank feeds around 3,500 people in crisis, almost a third are children. They help around 70 families a week but many more are in dire need. Many of those they help have no food or money because of issues with their benefits payments – increasingly people in poverty face benefits sanctions if they fail to turn up to a scheduled meeting. That can prove particularly hard for those with mental or physical illness or disabilities.

A large number of those helped by the Food Bank are destitute and many suffering from malnutrition– they have no recourse to public funds, some are awaiting visas and their documents are awaiting assessment from the Home Office so they’re not eligible for benefits.

Items regularly in short supply include: tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned fish, UHT milk, long life fruit juice, curry sauce, rice pudding / custard, instant mash, sugar, coffee.

Local Buyers Club Food Bank collection points include: Location Location estate agency & Askew Eyeware on Stoke Newington Church Street, Bourne’s Fishmongers in Highbury Barn, L’Epicerie 56 on Chatsworth Road and Freemans Butchers in Crouch End.

What is the Local Buyers Club?

We're on a mission to help you discover and support the best local and independent businesses.

We've negotiated discounts for our members at dozens of fantastic restaurants, shops, bars and businesses throughout North and East London. We help promote them and raise awareness of the advantages of shopping locally. We also organise and support community initiatives.

Join the Local Buyers Club and, for just £12 per year, you'll be helping to support local business and you'll receive a discount card to use at any of the 100+ businesses listed on the site.

Find out how it works and join the club