A long-time charitable project in Southport has been the foodbanks, working with the support from West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity to make a difference across the local region.
This year the foodbank coordinators of Eddie Thompson and Alan Cornes, ably assisted by Southport Group Chairman Phil Stock and vice chairman Brian Griffiths, have been working tirelessly to distribute over £5,000 worth of valuable donations over the course of the year.
The incredibly impressive level of donations is a result of the generosity of the members of the Southport Group. While food is a major part of the work, the group also distribute other valuable supplies such as vouchers and cheques. For example, vouchers are regularly given to Southport Food Kitchen to help them purchase supplies for their many regular visitors.
Vouchers are also donated to local churches that don’t have the facilities to run a foodbank themselves, the distribution of those vouchers allowing those in need the dignity of shopping for themselves. The vouchers can only be used to purchase food, not alcohol or tobacco, ensuring the donations are ethically used and extending the spirit of thoughtfulness, the donations also extend to warm clothing such as hats, gloves, sleeping bags and coats to help those in need cope in the cold weather.
The destination of the donations is as varied as the donation themselves, going to such diverse locations as local foodbanks, Southport Soup Kitchen, Southport Christmas Shelter, churches and breakfast clubs.The help provided can have a wide-ranging impact.
Food delivered to Southport Christmas Shelter alone allowed volunteers to feed and support over 80 people during the Christmas period. It is however hard to know how many people have been helped by the very generous donations, and work extends throughout the whole year.
Eddie, Alan and others who support this charity give enormous amounts of their own time, in addition to the significant financial contribution from themselves and other Masons. The importance of this can perhaps only be appreciated by considering what would happen if that support was removed. Heartfelt thanks are therefore due to the benefactors and most especially Eddie and Alan for not just their tireless work, but the thoughtful and caring way with which it is carried out.
