I VISITED Crediton Food Bank just after being elected as a new Crediton Town Councillor.

The rooms behind the vintage blue door on the left side of the Congregational Church (98, High Street, Crediton) were full of food and volunteers!

Chris Parsons, the Chair of the Trustees’ Board spoke to me.

I expected to hear appeals for more donations and volunteers but was happy to find out that Crediton Food Bank is well supplied with both!

The latest news is that a member of a refugee family from Crediton decided to volunteer for the Food Bank!

To be sure I checked again if the demand for food supply had risen significantly during the last weeks before Christmas.

The answer was: Yes, it had, but the amount of donations and volunteer help had equally risen! There was a little shortage of sugar at that moment, but this normally varies from week-to-week.

The Food Bank uses its funds to cover temporary shortages as well as to buy some fresh food on the day.

The organisation was financially supported by Devon County Council through the Locality Fund by former Liberal Democrat Crediton County Councillor, Nick Way.

At the moment the Food Bank is doing very well but may need more help in future when the funds expire. Crediton Food Bank became a registered charity in July 2021.

Tesco, Morrisons and Crediton Dairy are the regular food providers. A lot of public donations come via Crediton Methodist, Holy Cross and Shobrooke Churches, Cadbury and Zeal Monachorum villages, Morchard Bishop churches, Down St Mary church, St Swithun’s at Sandford and more.

The "Yellow Bookshop" and "Crediton Courier" offices in Crediton act as collection points too.

Some figures from the Crediton Food Bank’s report: “To-date, in 2021, we have provided 1,348 food parcels to 154 different households, supporting 216 adults and 170 children.

"In total we have provided food to feed 3,634 people, including 1,615 children.”

I checked with Chris the way people can be signed up for the Food Bank support:
There are many ways including applications through schools and nurseries, GPs, social organisations, etc.

My question was if people can avoid such organisations because not every family is happy to be recognised as disadvantaged or a family in need.

Sometimes people may face temporary financial difficulties, so can they just knock on the door? The answer was: Yes, anyone is welcome!

They will be assessed in place and get help in one go or registered for regular help until their situation improves. The problem can be Covid-19 restrictions, so it’s better to contact the Food Bank first.

The final message was: Please come and use the Food Bank (Monday to Friday) as well as CHAT (help with debts on Tuesdays); Citizens’ Advice (on Fridays) and Exeter Community Energy Organisation (help with energy supply problems on the first Tuesday of each month).

You will find all these services in the same hub behind the vintage blue door on the left side of the Crediton Congregational Church (98, High Street, Crediton), from 9am to 12.30pm. 
Contact: [email protected] ; call or text on 07740 202721; or use the Crediton Food Bank Facebook page.

With great respect to this community service.


Cllr. Natalia Letch

Crediton Town Council