About
Real Stories
“The foodbank was a lifesaver.” Your support is helping us to change lives.
New Story
“Anyone can hit upon hard times. Without this charity, the people who donate, the caring and wonderful people who give their time to selflessly help others, I’m not sure what we would have done.”
My partner and I wanted to express our sincere thanks and gratitude for how the Trussell Trust and Nantwich Foodbank have helped us in a time of severe need.
Rightly or wrongly, due to the severe embarrassment, we felt at our own perceived ‘failure’ in life, we kept the severity of our struggles concealed.
The back story commenced as a result of my partner losing his job, which had prompted our move to the area three years ago, around eighteen months ago.
The circumstances were unfortunate and severe and temporarily impacted on my partner’s mental health and confidence which temporarily declined. We were unable to claim assistance at the time as my salary was seen as sufficient to support a couple by the DWP.
We had to adjust our lifestyle, making all the necessary changes to cope on one salary. It wasn’t the most phenomenal of existences, but we ‘coped’ for the next fifteen months or so.
I lost my job in March 2021. We immediately applied for as much support as we possibly could including universal credit. Unfortunately, coinciding with the time I lost my job, we also had car problems, which took over a quarter of the income we received for April.
We applied for help via Universal Credit and an initial advance. My last salary was received on 19 April, but my employer did not pay until the of April. As a result of this, we didn’t receive our first assessed payment from Universal Credit of £495 until 27 June. Effectively, we’d had two months with little income and though my partner attempted to get a short-term driving job, this was taken off the Universal Credit Assessment. We found ourselves suddenly, after a life of comfort and hard work to be on the verge of losing everything. There simply wasn’t enough money coming in to meet our commitments.
We wrote to our local M. P. to explain our circumstances as we were, at that time, having difficulty in securing any help whatsoever. Subsequently, we finally did get someone to note our circumstances but initially felt extremely let down.
On the recommendation of a kindly lady at DWP, we referred to Turn2us who, in turn, recommended us to Trussell Trust Nantwich Foodbank.
When we say these people literally ‘saved our lives’ and restored our faith in humanity, it is not an understatement.
The empathy and compassion showed and non-judgemental way in which Damien Gear and his colleagues have dealt with us and supported us is very, very humbling indeed.
Anyone can hit upon hard times. Without this charity, the people who donate, the caring and wonderful people who give their time to selflessly help others and the compassion shown by Damien and the team, I’m not sure what we would have done.
When we contacted the Foodbank, in desperate need, we had zero funds, two potatoes, beans and a can of soup.
Within 24 hours of making initial contact with the Foodbank we received, toiletries, groceries, in fact, everything we needed. I cried upon receipt of the first delivery, gratitude, embarrassment, relief, all came into play.
Without this service, we MAY have lost our home and our sense of being.
My partner now has a job, and I, after 56 applications and three interviews, have now been offered a job, on a six-month contract.
We’re not QUITE back where we want to be yet but without your support, we may have not been able to climb out of that terrible isolation of despair.
Our tummies are full and you listened and that’s priceless. Thank you, for what you’ve done to help us and for doing what you do.
Holly’s Story
“The people at the foodbank were wonderful, they understood and saved us.”
Having always worked and never claimed benefits, Holly, 29, from Chichester was bringing up her four-year-old daughter, Phoebe alone. She was determined to give her the best possible start in life, but when Phoebe suddenly fell ill, Holly was forced to turn to a foodbank for help.
The council flat that Holly was living in was in a deprived area with drug dealing and dog fouling taking place in the corridor outside her door. Holly was adamant that her daughter should have a better environment to grow up in and was offered alternative accommodation near her parents but at double the cost. As well as borrowing money from her parents to meet the cost, Holly was working part time. At the same time, she had been selling second-hand clothes online and the shop she was working in noticed its success and offered her a space selling clothes in their shop.
Under normal circumstances, Holly could just about scrape by, but when her daughter became poorly and had to spend three weeks in hospital, she was forced to close the shop temporarily. When Phoebe recovered, they returned home to empty kitchen cupboards, bills racking up and no income to support them.
Holly felt unable to ask her family for help again and after discussions with the local Citizens Advice Bureau she was referred to the foodbank.
Holly said: “The people at the foodbank were wonderful, they understood and saved us.”
Although Holly’s situation is still precarious, knowing the foodbank is there in an emergency is a huge weight off her shoulders.
Richard’s Story
“Without the foodbank, I don’t think I would be here today.”
Having worked in the police force for six years, followed by 12-years in the Royal Military Police, Richard, 49, from New Milton, had always considered himself fit and healthy. However, this all changed when a chest infection quickly developed into a heart condition and he suffered from two major strokes followed by 19 mini strokes, leaving him unable to work.
Richard’s situation deteriorated further when he separated from his wife and moved out of their family home, where, unfortunately due to this change of address his Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was delayed. As a result of his serious heart condition Richard needs 35 tablets a day, but the cost of travelling to collect his prescriptions left him without enough money for food, and his local Citizens Advice Bureau referred him to the foodbank.
Although Richard admits he never expected to be in this situation, on arrival he was put at ease straight away. “The volunteers were fantastic, offering a chat and a shoulder to cry on. I suffer from depression as well and without the foodbank I don’t think I would be here today,” he said.
Richard looks forward to seeing his 10-year-old daughter every weekend but admits he has skipped meals on a few occasions so she can eat. He explains: “It’s a really bad situation that people have to decide whether they can feed themselves, feed their children or put the heating on. It’s a case of having to budget or having to go without.”
At the moment things are still tough for Richard, he’s on the waiting list for a heart transplant and will be on medication for the rest of his life, but he’s grateful that the foodbank is available if he ever needs some extra help.